Going Coastal
by ladykarinsky
Summary: The gang hops a ride on the Starlight Express to go to Jess High school reunion in Portland. Will Nick & Jess's relationship survive a 5 day trip? Is Schmidt ready to commit to Cece? Has Winston met the girl of his dreams? Angst and adventure await you, all aboard!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Jess stared fixedly at the laptop screen. "So it looks like the only train out of LA leaves at 6am. So set your alarms boys, were goin' to Portland!" A few weeks earlier, Jess had received an invitation to her fifteen year high school reunion. Normally Jess loved to catch up with old friends, but high school was a different beast. But she had a great job and now a great boyfriend to show off and she hadn't been home in ages, so why not?

Nick returned the juice to the fridge, rolling his eyes. "Six Jess? I haven't been up that early since I wore tie dye. Why can't we just fly like Cece did?"

"Where's your sense of adventure? This will be fun! Riding the rails, the fresh ocean air off the starboard side!"

Nick corrects her. "Starboard side is right hon, the oceans on the left. Port side. And those are boating terms."

Jess ignores him and continues. "It'll be like the Orient Express! Only with out the murder."

Nick chuckles at that. "Well, don't count that out. Two days on a train with Schmidt, something's gonna give.

Turning his attention from his french press, Schmidt defends himself. "Yeah, well, I'm not too keen on sharing a room with Winston. You know he talks in his sleep? Nick, seriously, as my friend, please bunk with me. I need my beauty rest if I'm gonna sparkle for Jess's reunion. Show 'em the sunshine they're missing in that rain puddle they call a city."

Offended, Jess exclaimed "Hey, that's my rain puddle!"

"No can do pal." Nick says with no small amount of disappointment. " I'm not trading a room with the most beautiful woman in the world to listen to whale sounds with you." He leans over and gives Jess a kiss on the top of her head.

Jess blushes at her boyfriends sweetness, giving him a little nudge. "Aw, thank you Nick!"

Schmidt, obviously disgusted by the display, dismissed his excuse. "Please, you just want train sex. I don't blame you. It's a smooth ride, but it's got enough of a vibration going on that you won't have to work as hard to get Jess where she needs to go."

Jess pushes herself up from the counter to head towards her room. "Ew, Schmidt!

Following behind her, Nick silently reminds himself to finish that travel size douchbag jar.

* * *

Two days later, the residents of 4D were rushing for the platform. Nick was lagging behind, as since he was the boyfriend, he not only was responsible for his lone duffel bag, but the 2 suitcases, cosmetics case disguised as a toolbox, garment bag, and Hello Kitty neck pillow belonging to Jessica Day.

"Guys come on, we're late!" Jess yelled behind her.

Rushing to catch up, Winston replied, "We would've been on time if somebody hadn't been in the bathroom all playing with his nether region!"

Schmidt was quick to correct him. "_Pubic topiary._ It's carefully crafted to showcase the rose of the Schmidt garden."

"Hey Nick, you have that jar handy?" Winston shouted behind him.

Boarding the train, they fumbled their way towards the room car. Finding hers, Jess slid the door open and scooted inside, followed by a disheveled Nick. Throwing the items on the seat, Nick glanced around. Two small fabric covered seats facing each other, with a small window to the side. "This is it?" He wondered aloud.

Jess blinked her eyes, hoping they were playing tricks on her, but this was, in fact, it. "It looked bigger online, I guess."

Poking his head in, Schmidt smirked. "Cozy. Come on Winston, ours is in the next train."

Jess was confused. "Wait, you're not in the same car as us? Where are you going?"

Schmidt wordlessly made his way to the next car, followed by a curious Nick and Jess. Coming to a large door, he slipped in his key card and walked into his suite.

Looking around, Nick was displeased with what he saw. To his right was a small seating area, with a loveseat covered in some kind of blue velor fabric.. To the side of that was a bathroom, complete with a glass door shower. Under the flat screen that hung next to the windows was a mini fridge. The beds were to his left, and running his hand over the soft quilting it came to rest at the chocolate mint on the pillow. "What the hell Schmidt?"

Winston entered the room, letting out a low whistle. "Very nice! I call top bunk!"

Schmidt balked at this. "You can't just call top bunk! I paid for half the room, we get equal dibs on top bunk."

"That's why I called it! We both had a chance to call it, I obviously cared enough to call it first, so it's mine." Winston retorted.

"Schmidt!" Jess exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us you were getting the fancy car? I thought we'd be next to each other." When Jess had booked the trip, she had this picture in her head of the four of them laughing around a table, dining and being served wine while they enjoyed the scenic view.

"These towels are so soft." Jess poked her head in the bathroom to watch as Nick rubbed his face into a mint green hand towel. "Jess, feel this. It feels like how cookies smell. I know that doesn't make sense, but it does." Ignoring the towel being held out to her, Jess turned back to Schmidt.

"Look Jess, I'm all for going to Portland to see you off to your high school reunion, but I'll be damned if I'm going to spend 2 days in discomfort to do it. Which is why Winston and I ponied up the extra dough for the super liner suite." Schmidt grinned.

Jess laughed at this. "You're not going for me, you're going because you're too jealous to let Cece go alone!"

Schmidt shook his head "That's not even a little bit true, I trust Cece, _completely_, it has nothing to with that. It's a very damp climate, she doesn't know how to properly care for that brown-sugar like skin, and with my carefully regimented routine, she'll be able to enjoy her time there instead of worrying about blackheads." Jess rolled her eyes.

Slapping him on the shoulder, Nick leaned into Schmidt. "Hey buddy, so I was thinking about what you said, and you know, you were right. I'm your friend, and if bunking with you in your deluxe suite will make you happy, then I'm happy to do it."

"Nick!" Jess's eyes widened.

Winston's voice shot over the room, "Hey guys there's beer and brownies in the fridge! Haha!"

Nicked hissed in Jess's direction. "_Beer and brownies!_"

"Too bad, so sad Nicholas. You see Jess, this is what happens when you hitch your star to a wagon of little means. So enjoy your closet, Winston and I are going into the lounge."

"Oh, OK, let's go!" Jess perked up.

Putting his hand up Schmidt had to let her down. "Ahem, sorry Jess. Suite guests _only. _You think they let just anyone play scrabble while drinking? We'll catch up with you guys later."

Winston skipped towards the door excitedly. "Scrabble?! Hey, you think they got Boggle too?"

Watching them go with an extreme case of turtle face, Nick grumbled to himself. So he'd be spending the next two days in a cramped space, but in the end, he supposed that meant that he and Jess would just have to find ways to make it more comfortable, even if that meant sleeping in eachothers arms. Smiling at the thought, he turned to Jess and all thoughts of he and Jess cuddling and kissing quickly left his head Causing the supremely pissed off face of Jessica Day was pretty high on his list things to avoid, and it seemed that less than fifteen minutes into their five day journey, he was off to a rocky start.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all! This story will be a (hopefully) large multi-chapter, as I want to dig into all 4 personalities a bit deeper. Please feel free to leave reviews with criticism, as it let's me know if the direction I'm going feels right. A big shout out to Captain Crunk, your editing was wonderful. Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

Returning to their cabin, Nick let out a heavy sigh. Ready to face his soon to be tormentor, he turned around only to find Jess quickly in his arms. Not quite sure what to make of the change in her demeanor, Nick timidly put his arms around her. Pushing up on her toes, she engaged him in a deep, soft kiss. Gently pulling back, Nick let the feelings of confusion and relief melt away before opening his eyes and looking into those blue orbs.

"I thought you were mad at me", he muttered.

"I was, but I can't stay mad at you for too long. " She said, smiling. "Besides, you know I can't resist a man in flannel."

"Ah, Nick Miller pulls it outta the hat again." he smirked.

Punching him lightly, Jess smiled. "Don't get too cocky. We still have 5 days to go, plenty more time for me to be mad at you." Patting her hand on his chest, she toyed with the soft fabric under her fingers. They'd been dating for almost 4 months now, and she had begun to notice things only a girlfriend gets to know. Like how the first day of a shaved face was so soft, but the three day wait for stubble that was no longer scratchy was pure torture when all she wanted to do was kiss him. And how he wasn't so much grumpy as he was quiet. In the past when he had been short with her, she chalked it up to his grumpy mystery persona. But she's found that it was because he was deep in thought, and it jarred him to be pulled from that. But mostly he was the same old Nick, and she loved him.

Jess took a seat on the very small (and very uncomfortable) seat/couch/bed, and pulled out her train brochure. "So, there's not much going on, you know, train-wise, until we reach the first stop, which is... Oakland! Go Raiders!"

Plopping down beside her and leaning back against the wall, Nick quickly shot that down. "No, no Jess, what you meant to say was 'Oakland sucks, Go Bears."

"But I like their logo better." She said, pouting.

He just stared at her blankly.

"Come, on! A pirate?" Her face all scrunched up and an eye closed, Jess used her best pirate voice. "Do you think when they run on the field, they yell _Arrggghh! Get back here with me ball ye scurvy dog_!"

Nick slightly shook his head, eyes wide. "Are you really saying these things?"

Ignoring his obvious pain, Jess continued. "Besides, bears wouldn't be interested in a football." Pausing a moment and looking straight at Nick's unamused face. "Because they like pic-a-nic- baskets." A slow grin took over her face as she said it, while Nick readied himself for what was still to come. With a still breath, he listened as she launched into a Yogi Bear impression. "_Hey Boo Boo, that's a nice football!_"

As much as he wanted to hate everything that just happened, the look of pride on her face at her own joke knocked the anger right out of him. Breaking into a smile, he chuckled. "You are such a weirdo." Reaching over, he yanked on her arm gently, but hard enough to pull her towards him .She laughed lightly, and sunk into his chest. Taking a deep breath, Nick held her close and said "Just so we're clear, though, The Bears are your favorite team."

Yawning, she pressed her face into him.

"Mama's tired." Jess said, snuggling deeper into him.

Nick seemed to silently agree, closing his eyes as if drifting off, but keeping a firm hold on her .

Peeking back up at his face with (_yay!_) 4 days worth of scruff grown in, Jess realized she was feeling more twirly than tired.

"You know, a nap sounds like a great way to start a trip, but I think I might need a little more wearing out. Whaddya say, wanna book some time on my bowling lane? BYOB, Bring Your Own Ball! I've got the pins.. wait, no you have the pins, or pin..." She slowly began to push herself upwards until her body was directly over his.

Eyes snapping to attention and ignoring her awkward phrasing, Nick held her tighter. "Did you know a train is my secret sex location fantasy number 4?" he said, lightly squeezing her hip. He pulled her neck closer and began to plant soft kisses there.

Giggling, Jess said, "Aha, so Schmidt was right! You did come just for the train hanky-panky!"

Groaning, Nick mumbled. "Please don't call it hanky-panky, and please don't talk about Schmidt while I'm kissing you..." his words drifted off as he began to pull down the thin strap of her dress. Continuing the slow, deliberate kisses over her shoulder, he could feel her breath halting as she brought her lips down to meet his. As they did, the slight tingle in the air turned into a full fledged fire-storm, and before she lost all control, Jess knew there was something she had to do. Pulling away from his lips was like losing air, but she did so quickly and stood up.

Out of breath, Nick looked at her expectantly. "Jess? What are you- "

Stopping mid-sentence, a smirk formed on his face as he watched her slowly reach behind her and slide the door shut, pulling the window screen down after it.

* * *

In the next car, Schmidt was enjoying an Appletini when Winston found him at the lounge bar. Slapping him on the shoulder, Winston seemed pretty pleased.

"Alright! I got us signed up for Team Scrabble, we're gonna show 'em how we do it in 4D!"

"Team Scrabble? No way man, I'm going solo on this. I've got at least a decade worth of Scrabble experience behind me, I'm not going to share the glory with someone who thinks 'once' starts with a 'W'."

"Come on man, I can't handle that kind of pressure by myself. I get hives just watching wheel of fortune." Seeing his argument wasn't working, Winston decided to try a different approach. "Besides", he started, with a note of flattery, "we both know who the real game master is. Remember the bar trivia? With your brains and my boyish charm, we're unstoppable. Women will line up behind us to let us rub our letter blocks on them for luck. Grown men will fall at our feet, proclaiming us Scrabble gods."

Taking it in, "Schmidt smiled."You know I can't say no to a little block rubbing."

About two hours later, Schmidt frowned looking around the room. The Scrabble Tournament had indeed attracted many onlookers, and there were quite a few ladies standing close by to revel in his spelling prowess. However, these ladies had passed their prime a good thirty years earlier. Winston had not seemed to notice this though, as he was immersed in his next choice of word.

"Winston!" Schmidt hissed under his breath. "What the hell, man? There's nothing but prunes here!"

"Shh, I got it." Carefully laying down his tiles, Winston looks at the elderly gentleman across from him, daring him with his eyes to do better. Looking down at the word his friend used, Schmidt was horrified.

"Nose? _Nose_. Congrats man, you just won 4 points!"

"Hey, hey now! At least mine's a word? What the hell is a 'Zymurgy'?"

"It's a wine making term, and worth a good 120 points thanks to my brilliant play on the double letter score."

Rolling his eyes, Winston got up to leave. "You know what, that's it. We've been playing for over two hours man, it's time to give it up."

Then the old man spoke. "Is he leaving? George, is he leaving? That's a forfeit!" He elbowed his ancient friend next to him. "What Leo?"

"He's forfeiting"

"No, no one's forfeiting, Winston, sit down." Schmidt pulled Winston back towards his seat.

Leo eyeballed Schmidt. "If he leaves, he forfeits."

"No ones leaving!" Schmidt said.

"Yes, I'm leaving Schmidt, I'm tired man!" Winston argued.

"He's not leaving?" George asked. "Because if he leaves, you forfeit."

"They're no good anyway, did you see that play?" Leo chuckled, waving in Winston's direction.

Schmidt was appalled. "Hey, that wasn't my word, okay? I'm over here crushing it. My words are above and beyond anything you could comprehend."

.

"You know what I comprehend sonny? That you're losing. Go on and leave, we can be on time for the early early bird." They chuckled.

"Oh, OK, is that how you wanna play it? Fine, Schimdty ain't nobody's fool. Hope you've got you're night time diaper on old man, cause Schmidty don't stop for no potty breaks."

"Why you keep referring to yourself in the third person?" Winston queried.

George egged Schmidt on, " Nah, you can't play alone. No partner, no team, no scrabble."

"What's the matter, you geezers afraid of losing to a younger man? Probably wouldn't be the first time, right ladies?" He smiled and winked in the direction of the men's wives.

A low groan swept through the crowd as Leo stood up to face Schmidt. Looking him in the eye, he said"I don't need a team, I'm gonna teach you a lesson all by myself kid."

Schmidt smiled. "Challenge accepted."

* * *

Smoothing down the folds of her sea foam green skirt, Jess felt a hand snake around her waist.

"You hungry?" Nick murmured in her ear, resting his lips on her neck. Somehow she was still surprised at these stolen moments of affection from him, as if it was still something they shouldn't be doing.

"Always." Jess replied, smiling. "We should go grab the guys too."

A slight frown crossed Nick's features. He had hoped to have Jess to himself on this trip, but when she invited Schmidt and Winston along, he didn't want to argue. As they made their way towards the other car, Nick kept a light touch on the small of her back, almost guiding her down the narrow path. Jess loved this. She loved how one person could make her feel so important and cared for with just the tip of his fingers and a small gesture. Nick, it seemed, was the king of small gestures - the occasional waking up to a ready made cup of tea, the extra ten minutes of talk time even after a long shift at the bar, moving the strawberry ice cream to the front of the freezer so it wasn't too hard for her to scoop, the way he absentmindedly twists her hair around his finger while they watch TV. Smiling at the thoughts, Jess found herself at their destination and rapped on the guy's door.

Winston answered and Jess invited them to dinner. "We were just on our way to eat, and we came to see if...you...want to... wha-?" Pushing past Winston to get a better look inside, Jess took in the sight before her. Schmidt was sitting on the bottom bunk, unsurprisingly shirtless across from a very surprisingly shirtless man who looked to be a hundred. Between them was a nightstand with a scrabble board. George was asleep on the loveseat, his yellow tracksuit glaringly bright against the subdued maroon velvet of the small sofa. Standing in the bathroom doorway, silently observing the game and holding a small dictionary in her hand, was a large woman with high platinum hair and wearing a red mumu. The TV was on, but muted, with a football game playing.

Blinking back a few times, Jess turned back to Winston. "What's going on? Who is that old guy? And why is he shirtless?"

Nick, frowning, asked, "Just him? Why is anyone?"

Jess rolled her eyes. "Come on, it's Schmidt. Any time of day, you've got a 50/50 shot."

"Point taken." he replied.

Winston glanced back at Schmidt, who was so focused on the board he hadn't noticed their entry.

"We, uh, got kicked out the lounge." he told them.

Laughing, Nick said, "What, you mean the special lounge for special people? Not so special _now_ is it?"

"Hey, what's all the yelling?" Leo looked towards them with a stern eye.

Schmidt, disturbed but not looking up, replied, "Nick, please, lower your voice. We're at a very precarious crossroads."

Nick rolled his eyes, waiting for Winston's explanation.

"Things got a little intense," Winston started, "and, well, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, shirts came off and we were asked to leave, and what you are looking at is round eight of the most Boring. Thing. Ever. So, yes, I would like to come eat."

"SCHMIDT! Put your shirt on, we're gonna go eat!" Nick shouted over the room.

"Yes sonny boy, you should probably go, get a bite. You're looking a little pekid," the Leo teased.

Schmidt eyeballed him for a moment, then turned his glare back to the board and smirked. "I think you mean pea-KING!" And with that he laid down his tiles.

"BOOM!" Standing up, Schmidt bounced around the room. "What's up? Huh? What's up now? You hear that gramps? No? Then turn up your hearing aid, so you can appreciate the sound of victory! Whoo!"

Leo glanced at the large woman for confirmation, and with the closing of the dictionary, she snapped her gum and nodded. Leo returned his glare to the board while Schmidt put his shirt on. Sighing, Leo began to get up. "Ah, just as well. Took you long enough to pull tat one out, don't think you would have lasted much longer. George!"

"George awoke, startled. "What?" Leo started towards him. "We're leaving."

Schmidt turned back towards Leo. "What's that?"

Winston put his hand on Schmidt's arm. "Come on man, he's just trying to suck you back in. You won, let this thing die!"

"Your friend is right." Leo said, putting his own shirt back on. "It's for the best. We wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of the lovely Sylvia, would we?" He chuckled, motioning towards the woman.

Schmidt set his jaw, and caught Leo's eye. "No. Not today, Winston. You know why? Because crushing it means never saying die. Sit back down George! Let's do this."

Seeing it was a lost cause, Winston sighed and patted Nick on the shoulder. "We've lost him man. Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

**This is a long chapter, so bear with it. A big thank you to Captain Crunk for his invaluable editing!**

Chapter 3

Dinner eaten and drinks served, The trio fell into conversation about the reason for the trip.

"So just a heads up you guys, I talked to my mom and turns out she's going on a cruise with her, _ahem_, boyfriend. So we'll have the house to ourselves!"

"Oh my God, you know what this means?" Nick squealed in a girly voice.

"What?" Jess said, eyes widening.

Winston and Nick looked at each other, and in unison exclaimed "House party!"

"No way! Nick, last time I had a party in high school, it was a disaster. Only the Asian Speakers League showed up, and that was just because they thought it was a party for Chinese New Year."

Nick chuckled. "Relax, Jess, I'm kidding. So, are we gonna be seeing Bob at all?" Nick asked in earnest, worry edging his voice. He hadn't exactly parted with Bob on good terms at Cece's wedding, and he was not looking forward to a repeat of seeing disappointment in his eyes.

"No, he's up fishing upstate. But you guys are in luck, because we will be seeing someone pretty special – my nana! Oh my god, you guys are gonna love her. She's 93, she makes the best banana nut muffins, and she holds the Oregon State Record for baking the largest Peach Pie."

"Well, as much as I can't wait to meet her, I'm hoping to get some much needed R&R.", Winston said. "I feel like I haven't slept in months. I mean I'm on track to what I want from my job, but at what cost? My hours are insane. Winnie needs his "me" time, a few moments in the day where I can take stock of things, deflate. But they've been running me crazy.

Nick let out a breath and put both hands on the table. "Tell me about it! Things at the bar have been working my last nerve. Just last week, Big Bob up and quit, so I've been manning the bar alone. Turns out business school doesn't teach you how to pour without spilling, so Shane keeps cooped up in her damn office. Now she's got me doing inventory all night, but since I don't have a fancy degree that says I know how to count, she'd gonna sit and watch me."

Jess's eyes widened."Wait, what? When is all this?"

Nick, mistaking her tone, re-assured her. "Oh, don't worry, she said we could do it when I get back." Sensing she was agitated, he asked"You OK?"

Crossing her arms with a pout forming on her lips, she said "Yeah, I'm fine, whatever, I hope you and Shane have a good time."

Nick was confused. Was she _mad_? "Jess, it's not something I want to do, it's my job. What is your problem?"

Winston saw what was happening, and thought maybe he could still salvage the situation. "So, like I was saying, I've been running myself ragged, but you know what they went and did now? They changed out the pop tarts in the vending machines for yogurt. _Yogurt_! I man, can you believe that? How's a man supposed to talk about high school volleyball at 4am with nothing but yogurt?" But it was pointless. Nick and Jess had entered that black hole he'd seen so many times in the loft, where the only people they could see was each other and how much they pissed that person off.

Ignoring his interference and taking on an air of indifference, she replied "No problem here, I'm peachy Keen. Just. Peachy. Keen. So you'll be spending the night in a dark cellar with Shane, surrounded by wine, and I'll be at home. Being peachy."

Slowly catching what was going on, he tried to calm himself before he spoke in a clear, steady voice. "Jess, it's nothing to be jealous about, it's just work."

Jess was indignant "Jealous? Please, I'm not jealous. " Changing tactic, she continued. "Actually, I'm relieved, because I'm due for my exam. For my body. So I thought I'd just stop by the hospital and see if Sam could give me the hook up. Get a little physical."

Now it was Nick's turn to be annoyed. "You're going to get a night-time physical exam from your ex boyfriend?"

Looking straight ahead, she nodded. "Yup. You know, gotta take care of number one. Make sure the ol' ticker is still..ticking."

Even though he knew she was lying, the thought of it made him sick to his stomach. But he was determined to not let her see that. "Alright then. I'll spend the night with Shane. And you'll be uh, getting examined by Dr. Sam."

"Yes, that is what we'll do." Her jaw set, she didn't dare turn to look at him. She knew if she looked into those brown eyes, which were probably hot with anger right about now, she'd confess all.

"Fine."

"OK then. You know what, I'm not hungry anymore. Excuse me." Standing up, she left a confused Winston and an exasperated Nick at the table and returned to her cabin.

* * *

Nick was just plain clueless as to what had just happened. He had immediately regretted escalating things, but it was just so damned easy to out-stubborn her! It was like he fed on the energy they created, and they were both too bull-headed to call uncle. But once the fog of anger cleared, it always ended the same: with him unable to stay away from her.

Realizing he'd lost again, he slapped the table. "Dammit!" Four months. Four months it had been since they uncalled it. Four months of trying to be the man she deserved, the man he knew he wanted to be. It hadn't been easy, but at least it had been worth it. Yeah, she drove him absolutely insane, and made him question everything he thought he knew about himself, about people. But it was like she had infected him. Like he had a disease of polka dots and cupcakes, and it was the bast damned thing that ever happened to him. And he didn't deserve it.

Rubbing his chin, he said "Can we talk about something? Anything. What's going on with Daisy, why didn't she come?"

Winston paused, looking down at the table. "Yeah, we broke up a few days ago." Things hadn't really gotten too serious with Daisy. It felt more like scheduled hook-ups, but he was okay with that. So when it ended, he hadn't been that upset, more like inconvenienced. But still, he would have like a few more weeks.

_Stupid Nick Miller _he thought. Was he such a crappy friend that he didn't even notice his pal's relationship had ended? Granted, he was somewhat relieved when Winston ended things with Shelby. But he didn't mind Daisy, and it was kind of awesome that at least one of them had a girlfriend that wasn't always around. He figured Winston probably liked it that way anyway, with his new job and all. But seeing his friends face fall now, he realized that maybe he hadn't been paying as much attention as he should have. "That sucks. What happened?" He asked, genuinely interested.

Shaking his head a little, Winston told him. "It just wasn't working, man. She was never around when I was, and I was working when she was. Just bad timing is all. But it's cool, I've been keeping busy, you know. I finally got caught up on "Breaking Bad." I organized my Sports Illustrated collection. And I figured out how to use Schmidt's pomade as grease for the creaky door. So, you know, it's been a good thing."

"Ha, you use it on the door? I used it to lube up the PVC pipe on the drain." Nick said, chuckling.

Winston laughed too. "You know that pomade is like, thirty bucks?"

Nick's eyes widened." WHAT? How much is WD40, like five bucks?" he said, still laughing. He quieted, and looked back towards the door. Still nothing.

"You OK?" Winston asked.

He looked up at Winston. "What am I doing with this girl? I'm going out of my mind half the time, and the other half I'm just..." he trailed off.

Winston could see his friend was questioning things again. Seemed to happen every week or two. He knew Nick wasn't great with dealing with his emotions, but he could recognize things in his friend that he could not or would not see. Like the fact he had fallen in love with their roommate withing weeks of knowing her. Or the fact that he stood a little taller when she was around, or that even though he said he hated musicals, he'd hear him humming bits and pieces of "Meet Me in St. Louis" in the shower. Nick may have loved Caroline, but he was _in_ love with Jessica Day. And any dope but Nick Miller could see it.

"You're an idiot." He stated.

"What?" Nick asked, incredulous.

"Give her a while to cool down, she'll come around. In the meantime, can we talk about how we're gonna handle this Schmidt thing?"

Nick furrowed his brow. "There's not much we can do. I think we should just be grateful that he's someone elses problem for now.

Winston laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just don't want to end up sharing my bed with an octogenarian."

"A what?"

"A really old dude."

Nick gave him a thumb up. "Good call." He paused a moment. "I'm sorry about Daisy."

Winston gave a slight smile. "It just wasn't meant to be. But _you_ guys … just stop being an idiot."

"Yeah, but she's friggin' insane! She's freaking out over nothing!" Nick exclaimed.

"Oh, she's balls to wall crazy, we both know that."

"Aw, hell. Guess I better go finish this. You gonna be alright?"

"It's cool" Winston replied. Giving a nod, Nick hurried from the table, leaving Winston to his drink. He watched as Nick went through the doors, and was ready to leave himself when he caught the eyes of a beautiful woman sitting alone in the corner of the room. She had skin the color of caramel and shoulder length glossy black hair. She smiled shyly, and looked down into her almost empty wine glass. Whistling silently under his breath, he swirled the last of his drink around the bottom of his glass. Seeing not only Schmidt, but Nick happy as well, had made Winston realize just how lonely he'd been. If Nick, grumpy-ass man-child Nick, could find someone that made him happy, then dammit so could he. Knocking back the last of his drink, he looked back across the room to find those eyes still boring into him. He stood and made his way to the bar. Ordering a beer and a red wine, he turned back towards her table. But she was gone. Looking around the car for any sign of her, he turned back to the bartender.

"Hey did you see where the woman in the corner went?" he asked.

The bar tender didn't even look up from shuffling the wine bottles, and said "Nope, sorry."

Sighing, Winston wandered back towards his suite.

* * *

"Hey Jess." Nick entered the cabin, and found her looking out the window. Passing scenery of the California coastline zipped by, with the last remnants of the sun disappearing quickly.

"Hey." she said, fiddling with her fingernails. She was surprised to see him back so soon. She had a pretty massive meltdown back there, and she thought for sure he'd still be pissed.

Taking a deep breath, he started. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier."

She stopped fiddling and took a breath. Why was he apologizing? He hadn't yelled at her and basically called him a cheat. Maybe he's just so used to her weirdness that he didn't notice? She cleared her throat. "Yeah me too. I guess I was just super hungry, and you know how cranky I get when I'm not fed on time."

Nick had entered the room with every intention of just apologizing and letting it go, but if she could just admit it...

"Jess, I think you can admit you were jealous."

She stood, meeting his eye. "I could, if I was. But I'm not."

So this still wasn't over. Fine. If that's how she wants to play it ...

"Okay, well then if it's cool with you, I thought after Shane and I are done we'd get breakfast, so..."

Quickly, she snapped. "Okay fine! I was a little jealous."

"I promise you , you have nothing to worry about. I'll be in and out before you notice I'm gone." He said, pulling her to him. But she pulled away.

"Wait, you're still going to do it?" she asked. Immediately she regretted it. _What is wrong with me_ she wondered. Why was she so jealous over some one night stand five months ago?

"I don't have a choice, its my job!" He exclaimed. "What am I supposed to do, she's my boss! "Oh, sorry Shane, I can't work tonight because my girlfriend doesn't trust me to keep my hands off you!" There! Maybe she'd hear how ridiculous that sounded.

Taking aim, she fired. "Well maybe you should have thought of that before you slept with her!"

He fired back. "Oh, come on! How was I supposed to know I'd end up here? For all I knew, you and I were never gonna happen! She was there, you weren't!"

Taking in a breath, Jess narrowed her eyes. "So what are you saying, she was just convenient for you? Is that what I am?"

_Shit_. "No that's not – you're twisting my words around." He stammered, trying to find the words to fix it.

But it was too late. "How's this for a twist, Nick? I'm going to be bunking with Schmidt and Winston."

Looking at her in disbelief, Nick was silent. Glaring at him, she reached for the door and left.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry this chapter took so long, it's back to school time in the lady's household! Thank you Captain Crunk, once again for your insights :) All reviews, good or bad, are encouraged!

Chapter 4

Approaching his door, Winston was surprised to see Jess coming towards it as well.

"Hey." he said.

"Hey." she replied softly. "Is it okay if I sleep in here tonight?"

"What happened? I thought Nick - "

"Yeah, I know, it's just... complicated."

"Ah. Well, you are welcome to stay. Besides, I think I could use a Schmidt buffer."

She let out a low chuckle. "A Schmidt buffer?"

"I can't be sure, but I think he said he wanted to "parry about ideas" for our stops. I don't want to do that. " Readying his key card, he sighed and looked at her. "You ready?"

"Aye Aye, captain." She said saluting. Winston just looked at her. _Nick would have laughed _she thought. "Sorry, boat term again. It's very confusing, because it has cabins like a boat!"

"Am I gonna need a Jess buffer too?"

"No, no, I got it it's under control."

Swiping the card, the entered the room. It was dark, and Jess fumbled along the wall looking for a switch. Suddenly, she bumped into something, tumbling forward and landing on something hard and bumpy.

"Ow!" she yelped.

"What the -"

The lights came on as Winston found the switch. Looking over the scene with amusement, he said "What is going on here?"

Jess had landed on Schmidt, who had been scrunched up on the loveseat. "Schmidt, I'm sorry, are you OK?

Clutching his hair he yelled " Geez, you scared me half to death! But it's almost worth it." He said, a smile brimming on his face.

Confused, Jess followed his eyes downward to her hand, which was using his crotch for balance.

"Oh my God!" She said, quickly releasing him and pushing herself up.

"I gotta say Jess, I expected this to happen much sooner – I didn't think Nick could keep you satisfied for this long."

"Ew, Schmidt, that's not- "

"Jess, Jess! It's okay! Nick will understand. Sometimes we need a palette cleanse of sorbet before jumping into the meatloaf." He said, smirking.

"You know what, this was a bad idea, I'm just gonna..go..." She said, beginning to turn away. But then she realized there _was_ no where to go.

Winston finally stepped in. "Why are you over here anyway?"

Casting his look downward, he mumbled. "Because Leo's in my bed."

Winston was agitated. "Say what? Why is he still here man?"

Schmidt explained. "We ended up going for an even 20 rounds, but by 18 Leo's meds kicked in and he started drifting off. He didn't trust me to leave me alone with the board, so..." he said, waving towards the bed.

"This has gone too far." Winston said, shaking his head.

"We'll finish it in the morning, it'll be OK." Schmidt replied.

Pointing at him, Winston continued. "No man, this is – you got a problem."

"I know." he admitted.

"Seriously Schmidt." Jess added.

"It's a sickness." Schmidt was defeated.

Pausing, Jess asked "So what now? Where am I going to sleep? Winstooooon..." she smiled softly.

Shaking his head, he shot that down. " Sorry Jess, you know, my back and all..."

"Ugh, whatever. Schmidt?"

"What's wrong with your room? He asked.

"Nick and I had a fight. So, whatever. Can I have the loveseat?"

"Uh, no." He guffawed. "You gave up any and all "girlfriend" favors when you sauntered across the hall into plaid paradise."

"Well I can't sleeping on the floor!" she exclaimed, looking back and forth between them.

Winston said "Well, there is one other place..." and he pointed to the bathroom.

"The tub?" she said, disgusted.

"Or I'm sure Nick would welcome you back." Schmidt said.

She glared at Schmidt. "No big deal. I love sleeping in small spaces. Makes me feel like a peapod. My second favorite pod."

Winston chuckled. "Out of curiosity, and I don't even understand why that is, but what is your first favorite pod?"

"Cocoa pod." She said matter-of-factly.

She grabbed the extra blankets from the cupboard and snatched a cushion from Schmidt, and stormed off towards the bathroom. She tried to cushion the bottom as much as she could, and scrunched herself into the tub. In the quiet, she began to think about how she got here, in a tub. She didn't like Shane, to be sure. But she knew Nick had no interest in her, so why was she so angry? She did know one thing: that when Nick was talking about Shane, it wasn't his face that she saw – it was Spencers. Thinking about Spencer now, she felt less pain and more relief. She had loved Spence, with all her heart. And his betrayal nearly undid her. But in the end, he didn't really know her, and couldn't really love her. Whereas Nick knew. He knew the good, he knew the bad, and now he knew the crazy. It was this thought that scared her the most, because even though he had seen the crazy, _he came back_. Replaying it all in her head, she remembered silently yelling at herself to stop pushing him away, but the more he tried, the harder she pushed. She couldn't go through that again, not with Nick. She loved him too much to trust him.

She loved him.

Taking a deep breath, she repeated the words in her head. _I love him. I love Nick. I love him. _"Oh my God." she breathed.

Two years after he had broken her heart, Spencer's ghost still lingered, not allowing for anyone new to take up residence. But she was ready to let him go - she had to. Because she loved Nick. She trusted Nick. He was _not_ Spencer.

Exhausted from the long day, she began to lull herself to sleep, resolving to go directly to Nick and explain away her fears.

* * *

Lying on the uncomfortable "bed", Nick had his hands behind his head, looking out the window. Watching the trees and coastline rush by had a calming effect, but he couldn't sleep. All he could do was think. Think of what he said, what he should have said, and what he was going to say tomorrow. While he still didn't know exactly what had happened, he did know he'd never seen Jess so mad at him. But this was a different kind of mad. Because he knew for a fact that he had done nothing wrong. What was she so pissed about anyway? And on top of all that, he even _apologized_ to her! Snorting at the thought, his mood began to change to one of incredulity. She's the one who wanted him to be more responsible. She's the one who suggested he take more on at work. And now he's getting yelled at for it? Hell, he wouldn't even bother with it if he didn't love her so damn much!

He loved her.

Running his hands through his hair and rubbing his eyes, he let the thought rattle around his head. He knew it would happen to him first. There was no denying he was there long before she would be, but now that it had actually happened, he was _scared shitless_. Because after the crazy insinuations and the angry words, all he could think of was holding her again. This felt eerily similar to the last woman who held his heart, and she had crushed him.

But slowly her face had faded from his memory, with dark brown curls replacing blond ones, and a pair of cerulean blue eyes looking back into his. And with each passing second spent in her eyes, the heartbreak that had paralyzed him had lifted, making him want to be the man she deserved. And now he was gonna chicken out on himself?

No. He had to tell her what she meant to him, had to let her know there was nowhere else, no one else for him. She had to know, even if it meant being the first one to say it, even if it meant not hearing it back. Remembering that poor bastard Paul, he cringed, knowing he was about to make the same mistake.

Winston was right, he is an idiot. And an idiot in love is all he wanted to be.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi Guys! Another long break, another chapter – but now baby bear is in school so I'll update more regularly. I will finish this storyline before season 3 premieres, so be sure to check back! As always, reviews are encouraged, and thanks to those sticking by me so far :)**

Chapter 5

Winston awoke the next morning to the voice of Leo describing the correct way to shine patent leather, which was apparently a holdover technique from the Depression involving dirt and animal fat, to a disgusted Schmidt. Making his way towards the bathroom, he remembered Jess was in there. No sooner had he plopped onto the loveseat and turned on the TV than he heard a knock at the door. Winston opened it to find Nick giving him a slight smile.

"Hey man," Winston said, "You here for..."

"Yeah. She around?" Nick asked, taking a step in. He saw Schmidt and Leo, perched in their respective seats. He pointed a hand towards them and frowned. "Still?"

Winston chuckled. "Yeah, but he's happy. She's in there." he said, waving towards the bathroom. Nick walked slowly towards the door, which was cracked open. The lights were out, and as he slowly opened the door, he stepped in. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he took in the sight of Jess, bundled in what looked like at least 3 blankets, snuggled deeply into the bathtub. Her dark hair lay in wild curls all over her face. He smiled to himself and crouched down, brushing the hair from her features to reveal her berry pink lips. At his touch, her eyes fluttered open, squinting to get a better look at who was there. As they alighted on Nicks face, a smile tugged at her mouth.

"Good morning." she yawned.

"Good morning. You know, if you were any other girl, I'd ask you why you're in the bathtub, but because you're you, this seems completely normal." He chuckled. "Hey, I'm sorry about yesterday. Can we start over?"

Jess sighed. "Yes. Definitely, let's just start over." Pulling herself up, Nick held her hand as she made her way out of the tub. He held her close, and kissed her, letting the warmth of her body spread over his own. She brought her hands to his scruffy cheeks and kissed back, breathing in his scent. Breaking apart, he spoke.

"We should probably get something to eat."

"Ok, but I need to go change. I think I might need help though." She grinned at him. "You up for it cowpoke? Care to take a ride on the dusty trail? Wait, that's not what I – I mean, it's not dusty – um.."

He laughed. "So weird. Come on pardner." He led her from the bathroom.

"You guys wanna get breakfast?" Winston said, not looking away from the TV.

Continuing towards the door, Nick ignored him, pulling Jess behind him. "We'll meet you there, you uh, get us a table." Jess giggled at Nicks hurried state and they went out the door. Still not looking away from the TV, Winston just mumbled. "Okay."

* * *

Winston had been waiting at the table for almost twenty minutes, finally giving up and ordering his food. The waiter returned with some juice, and as he waited for his meal he felt a slight whoosh of air scented like gardenias.

"Excuse me, may I use your salt?_" _said a slightly accented voice from the booth behind him. Without looking back, he picked up the salt and turned to hand it to the requester. His eyes fell into hers and he felt a shock go through his body. _The girl from the lounge. _She was even more beautiful in the daylight.

Taking the salt from his hand, she said "Thank you." and turned back to her meal. Winston tried to calm his nerves by thinking of any way we could introduce himself. But every thought he had seemed like a tired line or cheesy ploy. _Come on, think! Just say something, anything!_

Turning back to her, he asked. "How's that salt working out for you? Good?"

_Anything but that_.

"Excuse me? She said.

"Uh, I mean, is that salt okay? I prefer kosher salt, myself, but some people like the Iodized better." _Oh my God, I'm still talking. _"I never really understood that anyway, like, what is the difference between the two? Like, if a Rabbi blessed some Iodized salt, would it be Kosher too? Who decides which salt gets blessed? You know, just.. so many questions..." _Yep. That was worse than saying nothing._

But then she giggled. "Are you so introspective about everything, or just salt?"

Easing his shoulders, Winston smiled. "Well, any spice really. Condiments too, you know, deli vs. spicy mustard."

"And where do you fall in that argument: deli or spicy?" Her accent was soft, and he couldn't quite place it. Italian maybe?

"Oh, definitely a spicy man."

"Oh. Just when I thought we could be friends." she said playfully.

"But, you know, that's only when I'm not on a train. No, on a train, I'm deli, all the way." he stuttered.

She laughed lightly, her wheat colored eyes glinting in the sunlight pouring in from the window. She smiled at him, and began to turn back towards her table. She turned back at the sound of his voice.

"Would you.." Winston started, "would you like to have breakfast with me?" She considered him – he looked harmless enough. He waited for her answer, holding his breath. It had taken every ounce of courage to ask, and he could feel the tick of the clock in his chest. Everything around him slowed in time as he watched her looking at him curiously.

"Sure." she replied, almost as a coo. Sound returned to Winston's ears, and he watched as her lithe figure stood and came around to his table. She slid into the seat across from him, her seemingly endless smile returning his. Reaching out his hand nervously, he said "My name's Winston." She slipped her hand into his and shook it softly. He felt her delicate fingers tighten their grip and slowly released her hand as she spoke.

"Penelope."

* * *

Leo held his gaze on the board, and Schmidt held his on Leo. This had become the routine for the last two hours. Winston had abandoned him yet again, muttering something about a mystery girl he hoped to see at breakfast, while Nick had come to collect Jess early this morning. As Leo placed his tiles, Schmidt smirked.

"Really? That's what you're going with?"

"What? It's a good word. Better than anything you've got going on."

"Oh yeah? Well, watch this old man."

Leo watched as Schmidt spelled out a word that was unfamiliar. "Culottes? What the blazes is that?"

"It's a pant. It's French." He said, smugly.

"No, you can't use that! English only boy, we ain't in France."

"That's what they're called here!" 

"Don't matter! English is English, and that ain't English, so pick ano -"

"LEONARD HOROWITZ!" An angry voice coming from the open doorway interrupted their quarrel. Standing in the hall was an older woman with a poof of ink black hair and perfectly manicured red nails. She wore rose-tinted glasses which failed to hide the narrow slits her eyes had become. Schmidt watched, frozen, as she put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"B-B-Birdie!" Leo stammered, looking nervously at his wife. "Dear, I was just coming to find you -"

"Save it! So this is what you've been doing the whole time?" she asked, waving her hands at the now abandoned scrabble board.

"Oh, sweetie, now don't be upset."

"Thirty years, Leo! Thirty years, four kids and a shag carpet house, waiting for you to retire so we could travel. And this is what you do with your time? I'm done Leo!"

"But sweetie -"

"Don't sweetie me!" she interrupted. "You get your rear up right now or I swear I'll leave you for Lenny Shuemaker!"

Leo looked horrified. "You wouldn't!"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Shirley Fineman told Lisa at the swap meet that he just bought an Econolodge _Supra_."

"A Supra?" Leo looked back to Schmidt, holding his eyes for a moment. Looking back down at the board, he sighed. He stood to leave when Schmidt gripped his arm.

"Wait, wait, Leo", he said in a hushed tone. "What are you doing? We're just getting started, come on, I need to play. I don't want to think about anything else, let's just play. I mean, otherwise, you forfeit. You don't wanna lose, do you?" Schmidt pleaded.

"Nah kid", he said, shaking his head and looking at his wife. "Some things are more important than winning."

"That's nonsense. What could be more important than winning?"

"Love, son. Love." Leo walked towards the door, and took his wife's arm in his, leading her out.

Watching him leave, Schmidt plopped back down on the bed, clasping his hands together. They were scheduled to pull in to the station in 5 hours. He knew Cece would be angry to see him, and he hadn't quite worked out what to say when she did. They had fought before she left, mostly about him not trusting her. Jess had been right – he didn't want her there alone. He tried to convince Cece he had total faith in her, but ultimately ended up trying to justify his suspicions.

"_Schmidt, it's for three days, alright? I'm just going to see some old friends, my family!"_

"_And why do old friends deserve the Mint panties?" he said, pulling a pair of mint green silk panties from her suitcase and stretching them on his finger. _

_Cece snatched them from his hand. "No one is going to see them. And at this point, I don't think you should get to either!"_

"_Look, I don't see why I can't just go -"_

"_Because Schmidt! I'm not ready for my family to meet you, and you are incapable of being cool, they'll know something is up." _

"_Or maybe you just want to be alone so they can find you another brown man to marry."_

"_Ok, you know what, this conversation is over. I'm going, you're not. I'll see you when I get back."_

And so Cece left, and Schmidt had jumped at Jess's invitation to come. He was going to Portland, and he was going to prove to Cece that he could win over her family. But now he sat, mulling over Leo's words. Cece wasn't ready, and he knew when he shows up he was not only going to lose, but he was going to prove her right in thinking _he_ wasn't ready. It was too late to turn back now, so maybe he could do some damage control. Schmidt took out his cell and stared at the name, debating with himself.

"You can do this playa," he said to himself, cocking his neck from side to side. "Just feel the charm, feel it, let it seep in..." Hitting the dial button, he waited for her to pick up, his breath catching in his chest when she did.

"Hey." he said quietly

"Hey." Cece replied, a note of surprise in her voice.

"How are you?" He asked, somewhat timidly.

"Schmidt, what do you want?" She sounded impatient.

"I know," he interrupted, "I just uh, wanted to hear your voice."

"Well you've heard it, so I'm gonna go."

"Wait, Cece, come on! Give me another chance. See me, tonight."

"Schmidt, even if I wanted to, which I don't, I'm in Portland."

"Well, our train pulls in at 4:30 – I assume you know where you're meeting Jess?"

"What? Oh my God, Schmidt, you came _anyway_?!"

"So we're on for dinner? What do you say, 7?" He said, trying to keep a tone of optimism.

"If you set one foot off that train, so help me God -"

"So you'll meet us at the platform?"

"Gah! Bye Schmidt."

Hearing the click of the phone, he gave little wince. "Could have gone better." He said to himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Pushing through the narrow hall of the train, Nick struggled with the bag slung over his shoulder while the suitcase he pushed in front of him kept swerving into the walls.

"Dammit! You wanna play it like that huh? Stupid bag, I'll give you somethin' to bump into. How's about my foot? You want some of that?" He yelled, kicking it.

"Nick, are you seriously threatening luggage?" Jess exclaimed, exasperated but amused.

"You see the way it's jamming into the sides? It's like it's toying with me on _purpose_!"

"Sure it is man," said Winston. "I bet it wants to steal your woman too. Yeah, I saw the way it was eyeballin' Jess. Better show it who's boss."

Jess giggled while Nick glared at him. Winston continued out the train door and onto the platform. Looking around, he caught sight of Penelope just a few feet away, pulling her own bag behind her as she headed towards him. Jess watched as Winston smiled and casually took the bag handle from the woman and they walked together into the station. Curious, she asked Schmidt who the woman was.

"Some girl he met on the train. He didn't come in til late, then they just sat around talking, it was pathetic. I don't know much about her except that she prefers Celtic Thunder to Straight No Chaser. After that, I gave up listening and went to sleep. But I know for a fact he didn't close because she was gone when I woke up and frankly, Winston gets stage fright, unlike myself. I love an audience." He said smiling.

"Ew." Jess shook her head. "Why can't you appreciate a guy just wanting to get to know a woman without trying to sleep with her?"

"Because , Jess, it's not natural. A man is just hardwired to sow his seed with as many women as possible, and getting to know her just increases the likelihood that her general interests and tastes, or in this case, lack of taste, will override his ability to perform that task."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nick asked, frowning.

"I mean if he talks to her and ends up liking her, Winston's not the type of guy to just sleep with her and forget about it."

"And that's bad because..." Jess questioned, tilting her head.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? He's holding himself down! Look at him up there, he's known her less than 24 hours and he's carrying her luggage! He's doing what took Nick 2 years to accomplish – at this rate by next week she'll be living in the loft too!"

"He's right."

Hearing Nicks words, Jess turned to him, her mouth agape. "I can't believe this. You agree with him?"

"I don't know Jess – Winston get's attached pretty easily, he's not a casual fling kinda guy. I mean, he just met the girl and I heard him say he's gonna Skype his mom to introduce them. You know I hate admitting when Schmidt's right, but in this case... and he's right about Straight No Chaser. It's way harder to harmonize when it's not covered up by Irish drums."

Jess looked back at Schmidt who was nodding his head in agreement. Maybe they were right. The group continued into the station as Jess wondered if she should say anything to Winston. As she watched him walking ahead of them, she saw them talking, and Winston seemed to be smiling a lot. The woman was very pretty, taller than Jess by a head. Considering her options for a moment, she decided the guys were just being worrywarts.

Schmidt stopped at the gift shop and said he'd be back in a moment, so Jess and Nick hung out.

"So, " Nick said. "Is uh, your mom coming to get us, or...?"

"Jess!" Cece's voice rang though the large terminal, and Jess made a beeline for her. Cece looked around nervously, but she didn't she Schmidt and relaxed. "Oh thank God! I got the craziest call from Schmidt, he said he was coming. I was all prepared to be super mad at you, but now I don't have to!" She said, hugging Jess.

Jess looked confused, pulling back. "Um, well, he's actually -"

"Cecilia!" Schmidt voice interrupted her. He appeared at her side, holding a bamboo luck plant. "I had intended to get you flowers, but apparently flowers do not grown in this sunless rainy hell, so I got you this." He held it out to Cece, who took it slowly and mumbled a short thank you. She then turned her glare to Jess, who mouthed _I'm sorry_ to her.

"So if you guys are ready, the car is out front." Cece said, trying her best to ignore Schimdt's gaze.

"Uh, where's Winston?" Jess asked.

"Winston!" Nick yelled, looking around. "WINS -"

"What?" Winston said, appearing at Nick's side. Jumping at the surprise, Nick said, "Car's here, let's go."

"Hey, if y'all don't mind, I'm gonna catch a ride with Penelope and meet up with y'all later." He said, nodding over to her.

Reaching out her hand, Jess introduced herself. "Hi, I'm Jess. Winston's roomate."

Taking her hand with lightly, she smiled. "Penelope."

"Penelope – how fancy! _Penelope._" she said, adopting her best rich person voice.

"Jess-" Winston butted in.

"So, what brings you to Portland?" she asked, ignoring him.

Winston sighed and leaned over to Nick, speaking in a hushed tone. "How do I stop this?"

"If I knew that, my life would be so much quieter." Nick replied, smirking. "She seems nice man."

Winston nodded, not taking his eyes off the girls. "I know man, she's just so... so... sparkly."

Nick frowned. "Sparkly?"

"Shut up. I don't know man, she's something else. I just wanna see her as much as I can. Hey, if I don't make it back to you guys tonight, it's only because I like her more than you."

"Good enough." Nick replied, watching his friend walk back towards her. Turning back to Jess, he said "So, we ready?"

The group approached the car with Cece and a man got out of the front seat and walked towards the back, opening the trunk. He was Indian, and was very attractive with wavy moussed hair and a tall, muscular frame. Schmidt slowed his step.

"Ah, I see you've found yet another man of "shared heritage" with which to copulate. I must warn you, the last one that tried to tame her ran off scared with a white Christian." Schmidt said to the man. Cece brought her hand up.

"Ignore him, Sarvesh, you remember Jess. Nick, Schmidt, this is my _cousin, _Sarvesh."

Sarvesh reached out his hand to Schmidt and smiled. "Hey." Shaking it slowly, Schmidt said. "Cousin huh? So this is like, an inter-family type thing? There's like a billion people in India, don't tell me Shivrang was the last available one outside your bloodline!" Sarvesh dropped his hand and looked at Cece, who was mortified.

Cece brought her hands to her face. "Oh, my God, Schmidt, just get in the damn car!" Cece and Schmidt headed around to the side while Jess and Nick remained. Sarvesh began putting luggage into the car. "So, Jess, long time no see. Got rid of the glasses?"

"No, contacts." She said, unconsciously twirling her hair.

"Glad to hear it. I always prefer a girl in spectacles." Nick watched as Sarvesh moved the bags around to make room, becoming aware of the overly familiar tone between the acquaintances.

Jess chuckled lightly. "Oh, yeah I remember. You helped me pick them out! I still have the frames, but they broke and I've been looking for a new pair. I'm just horrible at choosing the right ones."

"Well, maybe I need to take a trip down and help you out again." He said, smiling at her.

_Okay, that's enough_ Nick thought. "I got the rest man, thanks." He said, taking the bag handle from Sarvesh, giving him a quick warning glance. Sarvesh released the handle and put his hands in his pockets. "Oh, OK, thanks. Well, we better get going." He said, and headed towards the drivers seat.

"You okay?" Jess asked, noticing his agitation.

"Yup." he said, shoving the bag into the trunk and slamming it shut. "Let's go."

* * *

Pulling up to the house, Nick took in the view. Behind the perfectly manicured lawn stood an equally immaculate spring yellow dollhouse. "Geez, Jess, is this where you grew up?" He asked, unable to pull his eyes from it.

"Yeah, I know it's a little run down, but it's home." she said cheerily.

"Run down? Jesus Jess, it could be on a friggin' magazine cover!"

"It was, but just a local gardening one. Oh, wait, what? Why is she-"

Coming down the steps was Jess's mom Joan, and behind her shuffled an elderly woman with a round perfectly curled poof of white hair a la Betty White. Looking at her, he could see where Jess got her fashion sense, as the woman was dressed in head to toe bright colors that perfectly complemented each-other. She also showcased very familiar blue eyes.

"Mom! Why are you here? I thought -"

"Oh, honey, it's a long story, but turns out I'm not quite ready to set sail with Victor." Joan chirped. Jess felt a little bad, but in truth was more relieved.

"Nana!" Jess exclaimed, flitting from her mom's arms to her grandmother's, embracing the old woman. Nick grabbed the bags from the trunk and walked towards the women only to find himself with an armful of Joan.

"Nick, hon, how are you?" Joan said, grabbing him for a hug. Nick stiffly gave in, saying. "Hey, uh, good."

"Cece, come inside, I made dinner."

"Thanks Joan, but we gotta head home, I'll be back tomorrow to pick Jess up for the reunion. Schmidt, get out." she said, not bothering to look back.

"Aw, sweetie, I'd love to, but I already told Jess I was staying with you, so.."

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "Fine, whatever. See you tomorrow Jess!" She hollered, waving goodbye. The car pulled away and Nick headed towards the house with Joan, following Jess and her Nana inside.

Entering the home, he was hit with the smell of something so good he had to close his eyes and take it in.

"I hope you guys are hungry, I made your favorite!" she said, hugging her daughter.

"Aw, mom, you didn't have to do that!"

"Oh, it's no bother. I made up your room Jess, and there's extra blankets in the guest room for Nick."

"Well I thought Nick could just stay with me, um, in my room." Jess said quietly.

"Well we're all wrong sometimes." She said with a smile. "So! Let me show you to your room." She said before Jess stepped over to him.

"It's okay mom, I'll show him up." Jess said, taking his arm. They headed up the stairs and Jess opened the door to a simply decorated room. "Your boudoir sir. " she said with a light laugh. Walking towards the bed, he leaned down and touched the quilt. It looked old, but was soft, with a bumpy texture. "Ah, the infamous birthing quilt. Three generations of days have been born on that quilt." Quickly pulling his hand away and frowning, Nick stepped back. "So, I'll be sleeping on the floor then." he resolved. Ignoring him and going back into the hall, Jess went to the room next door, and following behind her he knew exactly where they were. The room was painted a pale yellow, and had one of those

white iron storybook beds, covered in none-other than blue and white polka-dot pillows. There were twinkle lights strung across the ceiling, and no less than three "Saved By the Bell" posters on the wall.

Interrupting his perusal, Jess flounced over to the bed and sat down. "So, this is me. Where the magic happened. Actually, if I'm being totally honest, there was less magic and more evenings spent re-enacting scenes from "Full House." Nick raised his eyebrows at that, and chuckled softly. Sitting next to her on the bed, he gently stroked her hand. "Well, I bet we could make up for that." he said quietly, leaning in to kiss her. As she felt his lips pressing lightly on hers, then deepening into a more serious search, she felt suddenly aware of the irony surrounding her. The teeny bop posters and stuffed animals n the corner belied the very grown-up thing she was doing, and she stifled a nervous giggle. Nick pulled back. "What is so funny?"

Annoyed he had stopped, she tried to get him back on course. "No, nothing, it just feels weird kissing you in front of Admiral Snuggles." she said, nodding towards the beaten-up, one-eyed stuffed cat on her dresser.

"Admiral Snuggles?" he asked?

"Well, he was Captain Snuggles, but after he lost that eye to the neighbors dog, I felt like he had earned the promotion." She turned his face back to her and resumed kissing him. Sensing his hesitation, she stopped again. "What? Is it what my mom said? Honestly Nick, she's not gonna run you through."

"No, it's just..." She looked at him, waiting for an answer. He looked back towards the stuffed cat. "I feel like he's staring at me!" Jess laughed at him, and taking his hand they headed back downstairs.

Dinner was a quick affair, with Joan buzzing from topic to topic, asking Nick every kind of question she could think of. Normally this would have made Nick uncomfortable, but he could see Jess was enjoying herself, and he didn't want to ruin that by going all 'Nick Miller' on her. At the end of the meal, Joan announced she was going to help Nana to bed.

"Oh, mom, I'll do that, honestly, you've had a long day, let me take care of Nana, you go to bed."

"Why thank you Jujube! Well, then I'm off to bed. I'll see you kids in the morning." and she headed upstairs. Jess began to clear the dishes from the table and Nick rose to help her. Picking up his plate, he walked towards the sink, where Jess caught him and leaned in to whisper. "Here, I'll do that. Can you take my Nana to her room? She's ready for bed, she just gets super tired and needs a little help walking.

"Uh, yeah, sure." he replied, instantly dreading the oncoming action. Jess went over to her grandmother. "Nana," she said, smiling, "Nick is gonna help you to your room, and I'm going to be there in just a minute to say goodnight, okay?"

"Okay dear," she replied in a soft voice. She looked up at Nick with blue eyes that were so familiar to him he felt as if he had known her forever. He eased a bit and slowly took her arm, helping her to her feet. She shuffled slowly, and Nick slowed his own step to stay in pace with her. Making their way to his room, he helped Nana to her bed where she took a seat on the edge. "Dear, could you hand me that book there? I'm almost finished with the last chapter." she asked sweetly, smiling up at him. Happy to oblige, he brought the book to her and asked if she needed anything else. "No dear, just come to bed when you're ready Robert and we'll go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." Nick furrowed his brown, a bit confused, but smiled and left her. Coming back into the kitchen, he watched as Jess rinsed off the last plate. "Hey, is your Nana alright?" Jess looked up with worry?" Why? Is she okay? Mom said she's been a bit foggier than normal, but -"

Not wanting to alarm her, he shook his head. "No, she's fine, it's just – the weirdest thing. She said she'd wait for me to come to bed, and she called me Robert. Who's Robert?"

Jess's eyes clouded and she looked towards the living room. "Robert was my grandpa."

**Hello roomfriends! A new chapter sooner, as promised, albeit a long one. Enjoy, and remember to review – how else will I know if it sucks or not? You'll notice that Schmidt and Winston were pretty absent this time around – don't worry, they'll make up for it next chapter :) - Lady K**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Pulling away from the curb after saying their goodbyes to Nick and Jess, Sarvesh gave a quick glance in the rear view mirror to Schmidt, who was staring right back at him. "So Schmidt..." he began. "You got a first name that goes with that?"

Schmidt kept his eye fixed and replied. "Does Cher need another name? Does Madonna?"

Cece rolled her eyes. "He does, it's -"

Snapping his fingers, Schmidt cut her off. "Hey, hey! He is not privy to that information. I've know him like 10 minutes, you think I'm just giving my love away? This isn't a reality show, where I give roses to whoever asks first."He sat back in his seat, resuming eye contact through the mirror. Sarvesh didn't seem phased though, and asked, "If it was a reality show, what would you call it?" Without hesitation Schmidt replied, "'Fiddy For Schmidty'. Fifty women, one man."

"Does it have a plot, or..." Sarvesh asked.

"Of course it does, don't be ridiculous. The women compete for my affection through a series of vigorous mental and physical challenges."

"Like a trivial pursuit/American Gladiator mash up?"

Schmidt seemed surprised by his quick grasp of the concept, as it was one Nick and Winston had poo-pooed when he tried explaining it to them. "Yes, exactly."

"Oh, thank God, we're here!" Cece exclaimed, anxious to get out of the confines of the car. As Schmidt exited his door, Cece blocked him. "You don't talk, OK? My mother knows about you, but she's not really come around to it yet. "

Schmidt's features softened. "Of course. But I want to state that I am often irresistible to mothers. I'm like mother catnip."

"True as that may be, just please, please do this for me." she implored.

Schmidt nodded and followed her up the steps to the house. Cece disappeared inside, and Schmidt felt a tug on his arm. He stopped to find Sarvesh behind him. "Hey, a word of advice. My aunt is …. protective. She's not going to take too kindly to you after Cece tells her, so just try to ride it out."

"Hey, I waited out Cece, another Parekh ain't no thang." Sarvesh shrugged his shoulders and they stepped inside. The house was small, but comfortable. There was color everywhere, bright oranges tempered with cool blues, ornate Indian carvings hung on the walls. Voices were coming from the living room, and as Schmidt entered, he saw Cece step back to reveal an older, shorter, but no less beautiful, version of herself. The woman looked Schmidt over, her expression one of stoic resistance. Sarvesh moved past him towards the woman, and she cupped his face, pulling him down and bestowing a kiss on his cheek.

"Hello Aunt" Rav said, smiling and straightening back up.

"Mummy-ji," Cece spoke, "this is Schmidt, Jess's roommate …. and my boyfriend."

"It's so nice to meet you Mrs. Parekh, you have a lovely home." He gave a slight bow with a hand flourish. "If I didn't know any better, I'd have pegged you for Cecelia's hot sister rather than her hot mom." Cece's mouth dropped open, while her mother just glared at Schmidt, unwavering in her determination to discount his existence.

"Sarvesh ." she stated. "Would you join me in the kitchen, I feel the need for a cup of tea." She turned her back to them and exited the room. Sarvesh gave an "I told you so" shrug to Schmidt and followed. Cece hit him on the arm. "What are you doing? I said not to talk!"

"Ow! Geez, what are working out with, barbells? Look, I'm sorry, mouth just kinda took over. You remember how it does that, right?" He said, with a dirty minded smirk. "I promise, from now on, perfect gentleman. See, see, watch." He said, diverting her attention to the kitchen. He made his way over.

"Why, Mrs. Parekh, I didn't know you were a tea connoisseur. I see you like green tea? I myself prefer black, but every so often, a little Jasmine Phoenix Pearl Green Tea from Teavana is just heaven. Tell me, do you prefer sweet or unsweet?"

Mrs. Parekh's glare softened into befuddlement. "Sweet." she said.

"A woman after my heart. Have you every tried German Rock sugar? It's perfect for tea, a subtle sweetening without destroying the delicate balance of tannins. For everything the Germans got wrong, they got sugar right." He said with a smile. "Tell you what, how about you, me and Cece, we take a trip over to the Teavana and we'll get you set up with that, my treat. Maybe try a new blend or two. Snow Blossom is in season, my tea guy says it's pretty choice this year."

"Okay, Schmidt, let's go have a seat while we wait for our drinks. Mummy-ji, we'll be in the living room."

Her mother just nodded, never taking her eyes off of Schmidt. Cece led Schmidt back into the living room, guiding him to the couch. They sat and Cece sighed. "Well, this could be going worse."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Schmidt said smiling.

"It really wasn't" Cece replied.

Joining them with a tray holding a kettle and cups, Sarvesh took a seat and placed it on the table. Mrs. Parekh began to pour, and broke the silence.

"Tell me, Mr. Schmidt, what do you do?"

Schmidt cleared his throat. "I am a Junior Marketing Exec for a very successful firm in LA."

"I see. And how much do you make?"

"Mummy-ji!"

"Hush, Cecelia, I'm only asking what any good mother should. How else am I to know how well to treat him?"

Cece was mortified, closing her eyes and waiting for the moment to pass. But when she opened them, she meet Schmidt's green eyes with her brown and saw in them not only a hint of a smile, but understanding. She watched as he took a cup of tea from her mother and handed it carefully to her. He held up a sugar cube, silently asking if she wanted it. Shaking her head, she smiled at his gesture and sipped the warm liquid.

"Uh, well, ma'am, I do very well. If you need a number, I'll be happy to provide you with a bank statement." Schmidt replied.

Cece interjected, "No, Schmidt, you don't need to do -"

"That will be sufficient." Her mother interrupted.

The remainder of the afternoon carried on in much the same way, feeling more like an interview than a family gathering. They had a quick meal, and when Cece had decided she was ready to call it a day she readied herself to leave.

"Thank you for the tea. We really have to go though, it was a long trip for Schmidt and I'm sure he's very tired."

Schmidt sipped the last of his tea and smiled. "Come now, Cece, I've only just begun to get to know this lovely woman! Tell me again, Mrs. Parekh, how many birds do you own?"

"No, really, I think it's time to go. Schmidt, come on. We will come back tomorrow"

"Cecelia? You are not staying with me?" Her mother asked.

"Oh, no mummy-ji, remember I told you? I got a hotel room up the road, I didn't want to leave him all alone, you know, strange city and all."

"You are not fooling me young lady. No, you will stay here, where I can see you. And YOU -" she said, pointing at Schmidt, "will stay too. Sarvesh will keep an eye on you."

"Actually, Aunt, I do have to go -" Rave started.

"I will call your mother, she will be so happy to hear you are here protecting your cousin." she stated.

Sarvesh surrendered, "Yes, Aunt." He mouthed a 'sorry' to Schmidt.

Cece smiled at Schmidt, who smiled back, but caught the watchful eye of Mrs. Parekh and stopped.

It was going to be a long night.

**Thanks for sticking with me room friends! Nest chapter, we'll catch up with Winston and Penelope, so stay tuned! A big thanks to Captain Crunk, who continues to be invaluable, and to my writing fluffer, Mayalala :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N – Ooh, my Winston chapter is ready in time for the Winston prompt! Read on roomfriends :)**

Chapter 8

After leaving his roomates in the station, Winston hailed a cab and they got in. He looked into the honeyed eyes of Penelope. "Where to?" he asked.

"Well, I don't really know."

"What do you mean? Don't you wanna drop off our bags at your place? I mean your bags – I didn't mean I thought I was staying with you, I just – you know for the, while we're out, part, and then I'll get mine later. And you be in your separate domicile, I in my separate domicile. Separately." Winston was flustered and closed his eyes, but opened them at the sound of her girlish giggle.

"As much as I would love to drop _our_ bags at _my_ place, I do not have a place here, so..."

"I thought you said you lived in Portland?" he asked, confused.

"No, you asked if I was heading to Portland, and I said yes. You never asked my why." she said with a smile. "You know, you could stand to work on your deduction skills."

"Alright, alright. So then why are you in Portland? With no place to stay, apparently."

A voice boomed from the front seat "Hey! We goin' or what?" yelled the cabbie.

Winston began to speak, but Penelope leaned forward and said "I am so sorry, we are unforgivably rude. Can you suggest a cafe to us, one with excellent coffee?"

The angry cabbie's voice softened at her sweet request, and after a stilted grunt, they pulled away from the station.

Getting back to the topic at hand, Winston said "So, you were saying you're in Portland because..." he trailed off.

"No reason. I had nothing better to do." Penelope smiled at him, her delicate features seeming amused at his uncertainty.

He furrowed his brow and mulled her answer over. _Nothing better to do?_ _Did she mean to say she just hopped a train on a whim? "_So, you just decided to board a train?"

"Mm-hm." she said, nodding. "It seemed like a fun way to spend my last week in America."

"And then yu're back to..." he lead her on.

"Greece. Volos. It's not too big, and myfamily has lived there for eight generations." She said proudly.

"So, you're going back to Greece soon." he stated, more to himself.

"Yes," she said with a note of sadness. "I have …. things to do. My parakeet, Boba Fett, he begins to molt if I'm gone for too long."

Winston wondered what other things there were, but sensed she didn't really want to discuss it. So instead, he focused on the fact that she chose the spend her day with him and, more importantly, that she had no where to spend the night. Quickly he decided that a hotel room in lieu of Jess's sofa was a good call.

"Well, I was staying with some friends, but I ca -"

"Oh, that sounds fine! I'd love to meet them." she said excitedly. Winston wasn't sure how to respond. He couldn't exactly tell her no, but he sure as heck wasn't going to pass her up.

"Yeah, sure OK. Um, I'm sure they'll be cool. Cool."

"Here we are." said the cabbie, slowing to the curb. Getting out of the car, Penelope went around to the front and spoke briefly to the man. Joining her on the sidewalk, he began to yell as the cab pulled away.

"Wait, hey! Our bags!" he said. He felt a light touch on his arm, and met Penelope's sure smile. "It's OK, I spoke with Armando, and he will be back in a few hours to take us to your friends home."

"Who's Armando?"

"The cab driver." she stated simply.

He followed her into the cafe, where they quickly found a small table towards the back. It looked like any other coffee shop, with canvas prints of steaming coffee mugs, and soft mood lighting swaying above small wooden tables, the glow spreading over toffee walls. The place was full, with just enough room to slip past the tables. While the barista took Penelope's order, Winston noticed the number of eyes that fell on his beautiful companion, and felt a sense of pride coupled with dread that she will bore of him before their drinks cool. He found them a small table towards the back, setting down his cup and taking a seat on the tiny chair. He could feel the cool breeze coming from the air vent above him.

Looking around Winston wondered aloud. "Why are all coffee shops this color scheme? They're all either green, or brown, maroon."

"What colors would you have it be?" Penelope queried, taking in the sight of a calculating Winston. He glanced around, taking in the wood planked floor and the glass front door adorned with band stickers, some half peeled away.

"Well, the whole point of coffee is to wake you up right?" He heard Schmidt's voice in his head saying "_Earth tones are so sleepy_", and shook him out. "A color like yellow, or sky blue."

Penelope pursed her lips. "You have such conviction on this topic. Well, I have to disagree with you, my reason being that coffee actually makes me drowsy. All warm drinks, actually. So these colors are suited to myself. Perhaps we should have gone to a McDonald's instead?" she jested.

"You'd look just as amazing under fluorescent lighting as you do everywhere else, so it wouldn't matter to me." he said with a smile. _Smooth_.

Sprinkling sugar in her coffee, Penelope spoke. "So. I've told you, now you tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Why did you come to Portland?"

"Oh, well, my roommate, she's having her high school reunion and invited us all to come, plus I just broke up with my … lady .. friend, so I thought it might be cool to get out of town for awhile."

"Ah. Girl troubles?" she asked, running her slender fingers around the smooth rim of the cup.

He chuckled. "Not anymore. Guess that's the problem."

"What happened with this woman, may I ask?"

"Eh, it just wasn't meant to be. I'm not too broken up about it, but I had thought, maybe, it could be more … I don't know. I'm looking for something that doesn't seem to exist." he said thoughtfully. But that was a lie, and he knew it. It did exist, and the prove was everyday in the loft. "I have these roommates, the girl I mentioned Jess, and my best friend Nick. Two people who couldn't be less suited for each other, and somehow they're not only happy together, but they make more sense together than apart. Can you imagine? Two friends falling in love, how often does that happen? And I'm happy for them, but at the same time … why Nick? Why not Winnie?"

"You want to be with this Jess?"

"NO! No, I mean, why can't I have that person who makes sense with me? You know? I can't believe it, but I think I'm actually jealous of Nick." he chuckled.

Penelope stirred her coffee and looked out the window. With a tilt of her head, Winston saw something that resembled sadness brimming around her eyes. "Believe me, you have nothing to be jealous of. Falling in love with a friend is great if it works out, but when it doesn't... " she trailed off. "Well, sometimes it doesn't."

Winston felt the shift in tone, and tried to bring back some levity. "Well, maybe I'd be better off falling for a stranger. Maybe one I meet on a train?" he said playfully.

Penelope smiled and took another sip.

After the return of their cab and retrieving their bags, they decided to just walk for awhile. Pulling his small suitcase with her surprisingly small floral bag slung over it, Winston told Penelope about Latvia and she told him about her stint with Greenpeace.

"So we were off the shore of South Africa, it was freezing, and we finally see the poaching vessel." she said.

Winston was pulled in. "Oh my God, what did you do?"

"What could I do? We were out of flares, they had already launched the harpoons, so I jumped in."

"Wh – you jumped it? Like, you jumped out of the boat?"

"Yes, I mean, I had the harness on, and I knew I had to get to that harpoon line, so I came up underneath it, and fortunately they hadn't hooked anything. They were drawing up the line, and I was able to slice through it with my blade. Anyway, that's how I got this." she said, pointing to the vertical scar on her arm.

"Wow. You know, I have a scar too. Yeah, right here." he said lifting his shirt just enough to show a small black mark above his belly button. "Lead – tripped while running and fell on my pencil." Seeing her unimpressed grin, he continued. "Running to save a baby. From a bobcat."

She silently arched her delicate brow at him.

"The ice cream truck." he said, defeated. But her gentle laugh made up for it. The skies were clearer than Winston would have expected, and the sunlight played upon the gold chain around her slender neck. Her long dress swished quietly, while her exposed shoulders showed off her glowing copper skin. Taking in the sight of her looking through shop windows, he wondered how she came to want to spend her day with him.

"Can I ask you something?'

"Yes." she replied.

"Why are you here alone?"

"You mean to ask why I do not have a man with me? Well, there is a complicated explanation, which I will not bore you with, and a simpler one, which is that I simply wanted to be alone. Until I met an interesting man on my way here."

"Interesting huh?" he said, grinning.

"In an amusing, shy way." she said, laughing.

"Hey, whatever works."

They passed a small bookstore and Penelope excused herself inside to use the bathroom. Looking at his watch, Winston noted it was getting late and thought he'd better check in with Nick, so he began to text.

Hey, I'm still out with Pen, u guys still up?

_Yeah, we just had dinner, u on ur way?_

_I think we might stay awhile longer – is it cool if she stays the night there?_

_You dog! _

_Nah, it's not like that, she's not from here._

_You should ask Jess_

_Well ask her_

_I can't her mom separated us._

_Geez, can't you stay off her face for a minute?_

_Shut up. Text her._

Still with no sign of Penelope, he texted Jess

_Hey Jess is it okay if Penelope stays there at the house with us?_

_Oh, yeah sure! Cece said Schmidt's staying with her, so there's room. Does she like Belgian waffles? My mom wants to go blueberry picking super early to make some. It'll be great!_

_You know what, never mind, we don't wanna crowd you guys, we'll figure something out_

_You sure? I have the whole first season of "Passions", we could have a marathon_

_Nope. We're good. C U tomorrow_

Ending the message, Winston sighed. Maybe Nick wasn't so lucky after all.

Penelope returned and asked if he was hungry. "Yeah, let's eat. Oh, turns out staying with my friend isn't going to workout, so maybe we could find you a hotel?"

"All the better. Now you'll have to walk me to my door." she said, her red lips pulling up at the corners.

They were able to find a nearby hotel and she reserved a room. Winston wasn't ready to leave her though.

"So, I have to go to this reunion thing tomorrow, any chance you'd wanna go with me?"

"Hm. Well, I was just going to wander the streets, so sure, I guess that would be better." she said jokingly.

"OK. Well. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled and turned to leave.

"You mean you're not going to spend the night with me?" she inquired from behind him.

He stopped and turned to see an enigmatic smile on her face.

"Your key, ma'am." Said the desk clerk, handing her the card to her room. She turned towards the elevator and tossed Winston a seductive look over her shoulder. "Well, come on Winnie." Smiling at his good fortune, he followed right behind.

**A/N Okay everyone! Next chapter we'll see what Schmidt spent his afternoon doing so keep with me, I promise this will close out before season 3 premieres! A shout out to Captain Crunk and MayaLala for their always helpful input, especially on this chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello Roomfriends! I know I said I'd tie this up by season premiere, but real life got in the way. This chapter catches us up with all of our cohorts as they prepare for the reunion night ahead. As usual, my thanks goes out to Captain Crunk for his assistance.**

Chapter 9

Waking up next to Penelope had not been in Winston Bishop's plans. Hell, waking up next to ay woman seemed a far off fantasy considering how things had ended with Daisy. His heart just wasn't in it anymore – he had resigned himself to work and sleep. But somehow, the beautiful, mysterious creature lying next to him had changed all that. Looking at her perfectly golden skin, he knew he wanted more than anything to be loved enough by one person that they would stay. Maybe it was too soon to give up?

"Good morning" she breathed, her eyes still closed. Her words shook him from his reverie, and he watched as her eyes fluttered open, the flecks of gold in them shimmering in the morning light.

"Morning." he replied. "Last night was .. was... well, there were angels. And a choir. And I can't be 100% certain of this , but Marvin Gaye may have made an appearance." She laughed softly. "So, what are your plans for today?" he asked hesitantly.

"Well, actually I do have something I would do …"

"Oh," he said. "Of course." _Dammit Winston! Why'd you tell her about Marvin?_ Then she continued, lightly touching his arm.

"But I would still very much like to come with you tonight."

"Oh, OK then. Well tonight it is. You want me to meet you here, or..?" he asked, trailing off as she leaned into him.

"Why don't you stay?"

"Stay here?" he asked. He certainly didn't want to leave her, but he also didn't want to be cooped up in a room by himself all day.

"I'll not be gone long. Besides, we still have so much more to talk about." she said between kisses. She drew him down to her and as he began to graze her hip, he made a mental note to thank Jess for inviting him along, because her graduation was now officially the Best Thing That Ever Happened to him.

* * *

Cece had to admit, Schmidt was trying.

"You work with all these women?" her mother asked while Schmidt tried to explain what he did for a living.

"Yes, well, it's mostly women. My bosses are all women. Very empowering environment!" he said

"Why are you not the boss?" she asked, leveling her gaze. Schmidt shifted in his seat.

"It's true, I'm not the boss, but I am a Junior Exec, very successful. My performance is repeatedly raved about."

"And what do you make as a Junior Executive?" she inquired.

Schimdt coughed, and Cece jumped in to rescue him. "Mummy-ji, would you excuse us for just a moment?"

Her mother silently waved her off. "I must excuse myself for a moment anyway. But we'll continue when I return." she said, looking directly at Schmidt, who swallowed hard. As she left the room, Cece turned to him.

"Oh, this is going horribly!"

"Come on, it's not that bad."

"Not that bad? Schmidt, how did she find out about the douchbag jar? Do you know I had to explain to her what that was?!"

"I'm sorry! It was Nick, she saw a text from him, and asked about it, I didn't know what to say!"

"Anything but that!" Cece sighed, putting her hands to her head. "Schimdt – I don't think I can do this."

"Cece -"

"No, Schmidt. You see her. She's never going to approve of this. She's my mom – I can't do this against her wishes."

"What are you saying? That you don't want to be with me? Are you seriously doing this again Cece? Because I'm telling you, this is it. I won't come back for you again." Schmidt took her hand. "Cece, come on. We can do this."

Cece withdrew her hand. "I can't Schmidt. I just can't. I'm sorry."

Schmidt stood up. "Cece, if I walk out that door, that's it." He walked towards it and grabbed the knob. "I'm turning the handle. Cece? I'm opening it. Last chance."

Cece said nothing. Her eyes winced at the sound of the door slamming behind her. Closing them, she willed herself to breathe, to convince herself she had done the right thing.

"Cecelia" her mothers voice cut through the silence.

"I know what you're going to say mom, and I know this isn't what you wanted, and I'm a disappointment, but it's fine – he's gone and you really don't have to worry about it." she said, holding her arms around herself. Her mother came to her and took the seat next to her on the sofa. She took her daughters hand, pulling her arm from her body.

"Cecelia, hush, and do not interrupt me again. I do have something to say."

Cece prepared herself, steeling her senses and tear ducts from the onslaught. Her mother began steadily, but took on a quiet tone.

"When I married your father, I was 17. Your father was handsome. Smart. All the girls were so in love with him. Except me. Yes he was perfect, But he was not Dakshi."

"Who's Dakshi?" Cece asked

"Do not interrupt me!" she said again, firmly. Cece winced, and continued to listen.

"Dakshi was the boy who lived next door. The boy I loved since I was 6. Our fathers were not friends though. Friendship between us was tolerated, a marriage would have been impossible." She paused here, seeming to lost in memory and looking anywhere but at Cece..

"He married a girl from the next town – I watched the ceremony procession in the plaza. I watched as the man I loved married another, and he returned the courtesy when my time came. I respected your father, and that grew into love. I was a good wife. I was loyal. When I think of your father and the wonderful life we had, I feel so blessed. But for fifty years, my heart has belonged to another man. The lifetime of happiness had the price of regret."

She looked up at her daughter, her eyes brimming. "You are not bound to the rules I was. I can spare you the regret – and give you the lifetime of happiness. My dislike of your friend does not equal disapproval. My blessings and love are yours."

At this, Cece pulled her mother to her, her tears falling freely. All the walls were crumbling – all the shields were falling, and all the reserves she had disappeared. All that mattered now was that she loved Schmidt, and she had nothing left to be scared of. Except that he had just walked out of her life.

* * *

Morning in the Day household meant 2 things: pancakes and pancakes. Nick emerged from his temporary room to the sounds of classic rock and laughter coming from the kitchen. Standing in the doorway he smiled as mother and daughter – both clad in aprons and glasses, looked over a recipe book. Letting out a light sigh, he grinned broadly as Jess's eyes met his. "Nick!" she exclaimed, dropping her spoon and bounding towards him, embracing him without care.

"Whoa, Jess, hey! I'm glad to see you too!" he exclaimed, grinning. "What's going on?" he asked.

Joan held up a spatula. "Breakfast!" she said with a smile, pulling a plate from the cabinet and plopping two fresh pancakes on it. "I made blueberry first, but Jess told me you don't like blueberry, so voila! Chocolate chip."

"Are you kidding?" Nick said, eyes wide. "Batter filled with chocolate and fried in butter? Jess, I think I'm in love with your mom." He took the plate and sat at the table.

"Ew!" Jess said.

"Ew?" Her mom said playfully. "Aw, I think it's sweet" she said, kissing Nick on the cheek. "So, what have you kids got planned today?"

"Well, we thought -" Jess started. The sound of Joans phone ringing caught her attention, and Joan excused herself to take the call. Turning to Nick, who had his mouth full of pancake. "Hey, have you heard from the guys?"

Swallowing his bite, he nodded. "Yeah, Winston texted me during dinner, said he'd be staying with that girl at a hotel."

"Ooh, looks like he'll be getting his pancakes from room service." she said with a wink.

"Nice. Anyway, he'll met up with us at the reunion. I haven't heard from Schmidt."

"Oh, well, if Cece's text is any indicator, we'll be seeing him sooner. Looks like she ended it." she said, pulling out her phone.

"What? She can't do that!" Nick exclaimed.

"Why not?" Her mom doesn't approve. I know it sucks but.." Jess said with a shrug.

"No, that's bull! First she makes him choose between her and Elizabeth, then she strings him along for , and now she's gonna break his heart cause her mom says so? Bull." Nick was getting angry and Jess was stumped as to why.

"Hey, he's the one that tried to sabo her wedding, he's just as much to blame." she said.

"Did you just say sabo?" Not only was she defending Cece, now she was talking like Schmidt? No.

Jess continued. "Besides, what do you care? It's Schmidt, he'll be back to his douchey ways by the weekend."

"He's my best friend, and you didn't even notice how bad it was the first time – she can't do this. "She's being a -" he fumbled for the right word.

"A what, Nick?" Jess said, her eyes drilling into his.

"A jerk!" he said finally.

"Did you just call my best friend a jerk?" she asked.

"Did you call mine a douche?" he retorted.

"He is a douche!" Jess replied.

"He's my douche!" Nick yelled back.

Breathing heavily and glaring at one another, their argument was halted by Joan returning to the room. "So, bad news. I have to go into the office, I have a patient who needs me. I know you guys have plans, but do you think you could stay here with Nana for a few hours? I'll be back before your reunion."

Looking away from Nick, Jess told her it wouldn't be a problem. Grateful for the de-escalation, she hugged her mother bye and looked back at Nick, who was still fuming at what was left of his now cold pancakes.

A couple of hours later, and they still weren't talking. Jess was knitting with Nana on the couch, while Nick watched a game on the TV.

"Oh no" Jess sighed aloud, causing Nick to look up from the TV.

"Dear?" her Nana questioned.

"We're out of lavender yarn – do you have some more?" Jess asked.

"Afraid not honey. Why don't you go pick some up from the store, I can wait." Nana said as she continued knitting.

Jess looked over at Nick, who seemed ready to be asked to make the trip for her.

Pushing her glasses up, she shook her head. "Well, I would ask Nick to go, but he wouldn't know what kind to get."

"Go Jess." Nick said.

"You sure?" The last thing she wanted him to be right now was nice.

"Go get your yarn, we'll be okay." he replied.

"Really? I mean, it's just around the corner, but I can wait -"

"Go, would ya?" he exclaimed, shooing her from her seat and out the door. He closed the door behind her with a sigh.

Nick turned back to Nana and smiled. "So, Nick. Finally alone, eh? Tell me about yourself."

"Not much to tell." he said, taking a seat beside her. "I'm a bartender. It's not much but, you know."

"Oh honey, that's real work at least. You're not one of these fancy types, all cooped up at a desk, kissing the you-know-what of you-know-who, being a company lackey."

Nick laughed at this description and immediately pictured Schmidt. "One of our roommates, my best friend actually, is that guy." he said with a grimace.

"Well then, it looks like Jessica picked the right roommate to fall in love with." she said with a knowing smile. "You in love with her?"

"Ah, well, I don't know about - " He paused as the old woman's steely but soft gaze bore into him, so much like Jess's own. "Yes ma'am." he said.

"She know that?"

"I think so." _Did she though?_ It was everyday implied, but never said directly.

"You think so? You better know so – nothing worse than loving someone who don't love you back. And that girl loves you, so you better make her know you love her too."

"Well, I mean, I haven't said it, but -"

"And why not?"

"Well, I … It's just so soon, you know? I don't wanna scare her off." Nick rubbed his hands together, balling his fists as he found himself making more and more excuses.

"When her parents divorced, I thought it would change her. Thought she'd become cynical, like so may do. But it did the opposite. That girl believes in love like Eisenhower believed in highways. She won't run the other way – she'll run to you."

Nick considered her words, and nodded his head. After a beat she continued.

"Besides, you don't do it soon, she's gonna start feeling like a hussy."

"Huh?"

"Put a ring on it son."

"Hey!" Jess voice rang into the scene as she came through the door. "I got lavender and periwinkle, so - Nick? You okay?" Nick looked confused and almost pallid.

He gulped and cleared his throat, rising from his seat. "Yeah, I just, uh, was going to get a drink. Can I get you anything Rose?" he asked Nana.

"_Nana_ – and no thank you. As a matter of fact, I think I'll go for a nap. Sorry to cut our time short dear, but these days it's all I can do to knit a sock." she said with a chuckle. She started to stand and Nick took her hand to help her up. She steadied herself and placed something in his hand, balling it closed. Placing her other on his cheek, she lightly patted it. "She won't run." she whispered. Jess hurried forward to help her on her way and as they left, Nick looked down into his hand. The ring was old, but beautiful. The simple gold band wrapped itself around a clear circular diamond, with two small sapphires on either side. He stood looking at it, dumbfounded, when there was a knock at the door. Quickly shoving it in his pocket, he answered to find Schmidt.

"Hey buddy." Nick said, giving his friend a pat on the shoulder.

"So you've probably heard – Cece and I are over." Schmidt spoke softly, looking around the room.

"You okay?"

"Me? I'm cool. Coolio. Just gonna hang with my best bud and party hard tonight." he said, a sense of bravado coming over him.

"Schmidt?" Jess said, returning to the room. "You're still going to the reunion? Cece will be there, you okay with that?"

"All the more reason to go – she wants to move on, we'll both be moving on. Nick, you wanna go get a drink or something? I can't hang here, it smells like dentures." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Hey!" Jess exclaimed.

Ignoring him, Nick said "Sure pal, let me say bye to Jess real quick."

"Just don't let it turn into another makeout sesh, I don't have all day." Schmidt replied, turning back out the door.

Nick took Jess's hand. "You mind? I know this day has kinda sucked." He hoped she could see the silent apology in his eyes.

Jess looked at him and felt a wave of sadness coupled with a desire to just let it go. It had sucked, but in the scheme of things, it wasn't important enough to let it ruin their trip. "Go. We'll talk later."

He left, and closing the door behind him, he placed his hand in his pocket and toyed with the ring Nana had given him.

**A/N: Will Nick propose? Will Cece be able to repair the damage she's done again? How will Winston leave things with Penelope? Look for the next chapter next week!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Cece!" Jess yelled through the school parking lot, waving her arms in the air. Cece made her way to the group, noticing the complete lack of eye contact from Schmidt. Hugging her friend, Cece looked towards the school. It was bigger somehow, an ancient stony facade blocking the moonlight. The fountain in front of the school was a trigger for memories, from her first hit of weed to her first real fight with Jess about said weed.

"You ready for this?" she asked.

Jess eye's grew wide. "Heck ya! I'm gonna show these fools a Jess Day they never knew – got my cool boyfriend, my model bestie, and my groupies."

"Wait, you mean us?" Winston said, pointing to himself and Schmidt. Schmidt laughed. "Uh, no Jess. Only rock stars have groupies."

"We're kinda like a rock band. Like Fleetwood Mac! I'm Christine McVie and -"

"Who?" Schmidt asked. "You mean Stevie Nicks."

"No, the other blonde." she supplied.

"There's another blonde?" he asked.

"Are you kidding, she's only the best one!" Jess said.

Schmidt shook his head. "Seriously? Are you saying there's a better blonde rock star than Stevie Nicks?

"What about Blondie?" Winston offered.

Schmidt balked. "She doesn't count, that's a totally different era, apples and mangoes!"

"Hey, hey!" Nick interjected. " They're both blond rock stars, can we go inside now, it's cold and I don't have my winter coat!"

"Nick, it's like 70 degrees." Jess said, rolling her eyes. "You're from Chicago, doesn't it snow there?"

"Do you see me living in Chicago? No, I live where the sun lives."

The group made their way inside the school. The auditorium was like a time machine, where Brandy was still cool and everyone's favorite movie was Titanic. Winston and Penelope headed for the nearest bar, while Schmidt immediately scanned the room for prey. Cece watched as he made a beeline for a beautiful redhead, played with her pinky finger.

"Hey, you okay?" Jess asked quietly.

"I don't know. He's pretty mad huh?" she asked.

Jess looked at him, chatting up the girl. Seeing her friend so sad made her heart hurt, but she loved Schmidt too. "What are you going to do?"

Cece sighed. "I don't know. But I can't not know. You know?" Leaving a confused Jess at the entryway, she disappeared into the small sea of people.

"Hey, beautiful! Long time since I stood behind you in an auditorium." Sarvesh's voice came from behind her, with Nick turning to see him smiling at her.

"Hey! Oh, I'm so relieved to have another friend here." she said.

"I'm here!" Nick offered. But she ignored him.

"What do you say we go find some other honor society heroes?" he said, motioning towards the room.

"Sure! Nick, come on."

"Nah, I"m good, I think I need a minute to .. adjust."

"Don't worry man, I'll watch out for her." Sarvesh said, patting him on the back. Nick frowned as he watched Sarvesh lead Jess through the room. He took a flask from his pocket and a quick swig to calm his nerves. This was gonna be a long night.

* * *

Cece had been watching Schmidt for a while. He was still talking to that redhead, and she was smiling. Too much. Cece knew from experience that Schmidt couldn't possibly be saying anything that funny, but it didn't want to make her want to scratch out the girls eyes any less. Watching as Schmidt lightly touched the girls arm, she took a big sigh and decided it was now or never. She made her way over to the pair. The girl noticed Cece before Schmidt did, and Cece spoke up.

"Schmidt, can I talk to you?"

Turning his gaze nonchalantly to her. He smiled. "Why Cecelia. Perhaps you know each other, Cece, this is Amanda -"

"It's Alyssa, actually." she supplied.

"That's even prettier. Alyssa, this is Cece. Anyway, we've been having a lovely evening. How about yourself, any old flames to heartlessly douse?" he said with a smirk.

"Schmidt, can we just go -"

"No Cece." he interrupted.

"What?" she said, surprised.

"Not used to hearing that, I guess. No. I'm not your pet. I'm not just some idiot who will be here whenever you want. I meant what I said Cece, I'm done. We. Are. Done." he said, emphasizing his words.

Cece watched him turn back to Alyssa, feeling the tears begin to start stinging her eyes. She quickly turned and walked away, determined not to let him see her cry. She'd never let him see before, he sure as hell wouldn't now. And the thought stopped her suddenly. How could she show him what a terrible mistake she'd made? If he won't believe her words, maybe this was the only play she had. She turned back to him.

"Schmidt, I'm sorry." she said, almost too soft to hear. But he did. And instead of meeting the defiant glare he'd expected, he saw a softness he'd only witness from her in fleeting moments in the quiet. His jaw unclenched, his coldness disappeared, and his heart broke.

"I made a mistake. Again." she continued. " I don't want a life filled with regret, wondering what could have been. I don't want a life of tradition and culture if I can't share it with you. I love you. And I want to spend my life with you. Marry me?"

Schmidt stood in utter shock. "I'm sorry, what?" he stuttered.

"Marry me." she repeated.

Schmidt watched Cece for anything that would imply she was joking. A giggle, a smirk, but all he saw was the most beautifully terrifying woman asking him to commit to her for good. He'd wanted so lon long to create the family he'd longed for, but he never thought that Cece would be the woman who would make that dream a reality. And now, here she was, asking him to begin a real life with her. Looking at her dark eyes, her glowing skin, and her beautiful breasts (_really Schmidt?_), he knew at once he couldn't, wouldn't say no.

"Only if you marry me first." he said with a smirk.

"Deal." she said. He pulled her to him, kissing her softly to seal the deal, and leaving a mystified Alyssa in their wake.

* * *

Winston and Penelope had been dancing since they arrived, and showed no signs of wanting to stop. Slowing down with the music, they continued to chat.

"Your friends are really great." Penelope said.

"Well, they're like family, you know. In fact, I was thinking maybe you'd like to go on a triple date with them, and me of course, when he get back to LA. Dining, bowling, movies." he said, watching her eyes turn from his.

"Winston – I'm not going back to LA." she stated.

Winston was confused. "I thought you had school."

"It was just a month long workshop. I'm going back to Greece to finish my degree, my flight from Seattle leaves in a couple days. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, okay, maybe you can come back when you're done? You could stay with me till you get on your feet, the guys won't mind. God knows how many of their girlfriends I've had to endure -"

She cut him off here, putting her hand to his mouth. "Winston." she said firmly. "I'm not coming back because I'll be married. I'm engaged."

Winston stopped dancing. "Engaged?" he asked.

"Yes. To a man in Greece. Richard." she said.

"Engaged." he muttered to himself. He tried to make sense of the word. Engaged. And yet, she had stayed with him, slept with him. She was leaving for another man, yet she had spent the last two days making him fall in love with her. He felt the anger begin to surge inside himself.

"And when exactly were you gonna tell me?" he asked angrily.

"I wasn't." she stated.

"Ah. So do you cheat often, or am I just lucky?"

"That's not fair, I didn't plan this." she bristled.

"And what is it with you women anyway? You think you can just bounce from guy to guy, in bars, on trains, having sex and making them watch your cats? What about my feelings, you ever think of that?" he lobbied at her.

She became silent again, casting her eyes down. "I'm sorry. I guess I didn't think about that. It didn't feel like a risk, and to be honest I thought you were still pining after this Daisy person. But can you honestly tell me you're that upset, after only knowing me for 2 days?" Winston heard her words, and realized who he was really talking to. She was right. Of course it was silly to think he was in love with this woman he barely knew. Not when his heart was still back in LA.

He sighed. "Three, if you count the first day I saw you." he said with a slight smile. "And no, I guess I'm not that angry. Not at you, anyway. I guess I was just missing the feeling so much, you know?"

"I am glad I met you, though." she said, smiling back. And I hope - I know – you'll find that feeling again soon enough. And with someone who deserves you. In the meantime, how about we finish our dance?"

He took her hand back in his, and holding her by the waist, returned to the music. "Richard is a lucky man. Cheating and lying aside." he said with a smile. Looking up at him, she reached for a kiss, and laid her head back on his chest.

* * *

Nick had lost sight of Jess for well over an hour now, which had been spent listening to Schmidt babble on about formal wear. He assumed she had heard of Cece's engagement, and that they were together gabbing as well, until Cece made her way to the table alone.

"Where's Jess?"

"I figured she was with you. I guess she's still dancing with Sarvesh." she said, motioning to the floor behind her.

And that's when he saw her. He wasn't sure how it happened, but before he knew it, he was between Jess and Sarvesh and backing him into the wall.

"What the hell, man?" Sarvesh yelled.

"Nick, what are you doing?" Jess exclaimed.

"Me? What are _you_ doing?" he countered, pointing at the two.

"Hey, man nothing happened." Sarvesh assured him.

"Ha! Nothing? So that wasn't your hands all over her?" he fired.

"Nick, we were just dancing -"

"You've been on her all night!" he interrupted. "You think I'm just gonna stand around and watch you put yourself all over the girl I'm gonna marry?" Nick was breathing heavily and hadn't noticed the crowd that had come to a standstill around him.

"You got the wrong idea, I'm engaged!" Sarvesh returned. "Look, there's my fiancee!" he said. Nick spun to see a petite blonde heading towards them.

"Sarvesh? She said, concern edging her voice. "Baby are you okay? Jess, what's going on?"

"You know her?" Nick asked her.

"Yeah, we were in girl scouts together." she said.

"I helped pick out the engagement ring." Jess said quietly. Nick felt his rage dissipate and his regret replace it instantly. Jess turned and began to walk away.

"Jess, wait, let me explain!" he said.

She bolted through the crowd, the sound of her hurried footsteps echoing through the silent room. Brushing past Cece and Schmidt, she exited through the back door. Finding herself in the parkway behind the school, he wrapped her arms around herself and took a deep breath.

Exiting the same door, Nick found Jess and quickly tried to explain himself. "Jess!"

"What the hell, Nick?" she yelled at him.

"Jess, I'm sorry, I -"

"You can't just attack every one that touches me, I'm not your property! He wasn't even doing anything, he's my friend! I'm so embarrassed!" she said into him.

No, Jess, I saw you guys, and I thought – I don't know what I thought. I just snapped. I'm so sorry. I'll go apologize, okay? Jess?"

She watched him, saying nothing. "Did you mean it?" she asked quietly. "You want to marry me?"

Nick sighed. "Yeah. I did. I do. I probably could have said it better – and not to Sarvesh."

"Nick, I -" she started, but Nick stopped her.

"Jess, don't. Don't let this be a thing. You have zero reason to worry about that, I know we're not ready. Can we just go back an hour? Reformat? Or reboot? I don't know, Schmidt's better with the tech lingo. Please?"

Jess eyed him warily. "I love you, Jess. Please, let's forget about this. It won't happen again."

"I love you too." she relented, giving him a small smile and stepping towards him. "But... is it wrong that I was a little turned on by your whole 'don't-touch-my-woman' display?"

"Not wrong at all." he smirked. The sounds of the music from the auditorium wafted from the upper windows and into the air. "Dance with me?" he asked, reaching for her hand. Jess gave it willingly, and as he pulled her close, she nuzzled tightly into him.

"You remember the last time we danced like this?" Nick asked. "The wedding?"

"Oh my God, that was such a crazy night! I made a pretty good fake girlfriend though." she said.

"Ah, you're an even better real one." he replied. "Hey, I really am sorry about what happened. I don't know what I was thinking. That was so not the way I imagined I'd propose." he said.

"You did kinda take all the romance out of it when you shouted it in Sarvesh's face." she said, chuckling lightly.

"Yeah, I guess I owe him an apology dance too." he said, smiling.

They settled back into quiet, and Nick held her hands to his chest as she felt her breathing slow to match his. "I want you to know somethin'. I meant what I said at the beginning of all this. I'm all in. And not just for a month, or a year. Ring or no ring, this is it for me. You are it."

Jess laid her head on Nicks shoulder, mulling his words. She knew they could have easily come from her. When she dreamed of her first home, it was Nick who would be fixing the rain gutter. When she pictured her sons first day of school, it was Nick who was standing next to her, waving as the bus drove away. And when she thought of death, it was Nick's face, grayed and wrinkled, that was the last she'd see.

"Nick?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna ask me?"

"Ask you what?"

"To marry you. You didn't ask me." She looked up at him, seeing the thought lighting his eyes, the hesitation that she knew came from fear of her saying no. But then his hand moved to his pocket and he retried the ring. Lowering himself to his knee as he held her hand, he looked into the blue orbs he never wanted to forget and asked her.

"Jessica. Will you marry me?" Looking down into his eager face, all uncertainty rushed from her mind. Feeling her emotions swell in her eyes, she smiled widely. "Yes." she replied. He placed the ring – her grandmothers ring – on her delicate finger, and rose to embrace her. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her softly, deepening it with every fiber of his being. "I love you." he said.

"I love you too." she returned. "You sure you're ready for this?"

"I've been ready for this since day one, Jess. I've just been waiting for you to catch up." he said, smiling. Nick claimed another kiss, and they continued their dance.

* * *

**Epilogue**

"What is all this Schmidt? Did you actually buy more luggage?" Ncik said, heaving the last suitcase onto the carousel.

"Sorry Nick, that's mine.: Cece said.

Schmidt came to Nick side. "Hey man, so I was wondering if you could do like a fall wedding, because Cece and I were gonna do spring. That way we don't have to compete for attention, and you can concentrate on your best man duties."

"You want me to be your best man?" Nick said, excited.

"Yeah, man of course! You're my bro!" Schmidt said, patting him on the shoulder. "Who else would I ask, Winston? As if!"

"As if!" Nick repeated nervously.

"Wait – are you – are you gonna ask Winston to be your best man? Nick?"

"Nooooo..."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Well, I've known him longer and - " Nick tried to explain.

"I see Nicholas! I thought we had something that transcended time. But you know what? It's cool. Oh hey, Winston. I see the game has already begun." he said as Winston approached the two.

Nick looked confused. "What game? There is no game."

"We'll see, when you and Jess can't decide between lilies and roses, I'm sure Winston here will know to tell you 'Neither', and that that a fall wedding calls for black-eyed Susans!" Schmidt said.

Winston patted Schmidt on the back. "It's okay man. Look, how about we settle this over a Scrabble game? Winston offered as he and Schmidt made their way up the train steps. With Cece shaking her head and following behind them. Looking back towards the station, Nick saw Jess walking to him.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yup. I'm so ready to go home! So not ready to plan this thing, Cece is already hitting me up with wedding stuff. Can we just elope?"

"Right on! Although Schmidt would be disappointed. He's got choosing seasonal colors. He's got quite a few ideas for you too."

"I have a few ideas where he can put his ideas." she replied.

Taking her hand, they boarded the train. Jess really didn't want to elope, but a wedding seemed so daunting. The thought of Schmidt helping plan her nuptials didn't sound fun either. "What season?" she asked, " because I was thinking a spring wedding would be beautiful."

**A/N – Thank you all for following through on this story with me! It was a challenge to write, but I loved it, and I love you all who reviewed it. **


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